Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja get their do-over Saturday at UFC 331, nine months after their first flyweight title fight ended 26 seconds in when Pantoja’s elbow gave way. The rematch headlines the promotion’s first visit to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles in eight years, streaming live on Paramount+.
The co-main event carries stakes of its own. Arman Tsarukyan, the No. 2 ranked lightweight, says a loss to Mauricio Ruffy would end his hopes of ever fighting for UFC gold.
Van vs. Pantoja 2 Is Close To A Coin Flip
Van won the belt at UFC 323 in December after catching a Pantoja head kick and taking him down, with the Brazilian injuring his elbow on the landing. The 24-year-old has since added a defense, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round at UFC 328 in May.
Pantoja, 36, defended the title four times before the injury, beating Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France. A win would make him just the third flyweight in UFC history to reclaim the title, joining Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo.
The odds listed on the official UFC 331 event page barely separate them, with Van at -130 and Pantoja at +110.
Pantoja told UFC.com he was back in the gym two days after the injury, lifting with one arm, and that he liked seeing Van log a title defense before the rematch. “I’m the challenger here,” Pantoja said. “I have this position all my life, and I like it; it makes this moment much better.”
Tsarukyan Calls The Ruffy Fight His Last Shot
Tsarukyan returns for the first time since submitting Dan Hooker in Qatar last November, riding a five-fight win streak that includes a decision over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300. He’s a -305 favorite in a rare five-round non-title fight.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Tsarukyan framed Saturday in all-or-nothing terms. “I’m taking Mauricio Ruffy as an opponent for my title fight,” he said. “If I lose this fight, I’m never going to see a title fight. That’s why I’m super motivated for this fight, super hungry.”
The urgency traces back to January 2025, when Tsarukyan withdrew from a lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 citing a back injury. UFC CEO Dana White has not committed to giving Saturday’s winner a title shot.
Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has added fuel to that history. On Demetrious Johnson’s Mighty podcast, Gaethje said, “The truth is that he wasn’t going to make weight, so he dropped out,” before admitting he was “totally speculating.”
Gaethje has said he won’t fight again in 2026, and a rematch with Ilia Topuria remains under consideration. That leaves Tsarukyan needing a performance loud enough to force the issue.
Ruffy has earned two finishes this year after moving his camp to Australia to train alongside featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. He stopped Rafael Fiziev in the second round in February, then knocked out Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Pitbull, Steveson And Baraniewski Round Out The Main Card
Former Bellator star Patricio Pitbull, 39, faces Dooho Choi at featherweight. Pitbull is 1-2 in the UFC, with decision losses to Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico around a win over Dan Ige, and Choi enters as a -270 favorite.
Gable Steveson moved onto the main card after Brian Ortega’s withdrawal scrapped his rematch with Renato Moicano. Ortega posted photos of a cut over his eye that required stitches, and Moicano now headlines an October 31 Fight Night against Tom Nolan.
Steveson, a decorated wrestler, stayed unbeaten with a first-round win over Elisha Ellison in his UFC debut this summer. He meets Santa Ana’s Sean Sharaf, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is 0-2 in the Octagon and has accused the UFC of favoring Steveson in the buildup.
Iwo Baraniewski puts his perfect record on the line against No. 14 ranked light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield. The 27-year-old Contender Series signee is 9-0 and finished Ibo Aslan, Austen Lane and Junior Tafa in a combined 3:22 of Octagon time.
There’s extra money on the table, too. White announced a one-night $50,000 Proper Chaos bonus tied to the Paramount+ series MobLand, and he alone will decide which fighter earns it.
UFC 331 Full Fight Card And Start Times
Main Card (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, Paramount+)
- Joshua Van (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja, UFC Flyweight Championship
- Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy, lightweight (five rounds)
- Patricio Pitbull vs. Dooho Choi, featherweight
- Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf, heavyweight
- Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski, light heavyweight
Prelims (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, Paramount+)
- Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain, bantamweight
- Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne, heavyweight
- Michael Aswell Jr. vs. JooSang Yoo, featherweight
- Ryan Gandra vs. Ozzy Diaz, middleweight
Early Prelims (5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT, Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass)
- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira, middleweight
- Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura, women’s flyweight
- Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito, featherweight
