UFC 331’s main card on Saturday night in Los Angeles centers on a flyweight title rematch that never happened the first time. Champion Joshua Van defends against former champion Alexandre Pantoja. Their December meeting at UFC 323 ended in 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered an arm injury.
Since then, Van has made a defense. Meanwhile, Pantoja is back to prove the belt changed hands on a fluke rather than a real fight. The books have Van as a slight favorite. But this is the one everyone is watching because the first bout settled nothing.
The co-main is a five-round lightweight bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. Tsarukyan is the ranked veteran trying to stay in the title picture. By contrast, Ruffy is the dangerous Brazilian who can blow the whole division open if he lands clean. It is the kind of fight that can either look like a mismatch or turn into the best scrap of the night.
Meanwhile, Patricio Pitbull against Dooho Choi is the veteran-versus-finisher featherweight. Pitbull brings a long championship résumé from Bellator. Choi is the Korean knockout artist who still has that one-shot danger even later in his career.
And then Renato Moicano and Brian Ortega finally meet after earlier booking issues. Both are high-level lightweights with finishing ability and messy recent stretches. So, the winner gets a real boost and the loser slides.
The card opener on the main portion is Alonzo Menifield versus unbeaten Polish prospect Iwo Baraniewski at light heavyweight. Menifield is the experienced power puncher. Baraniewski is 9-0 and looking to make a name for himself. It is the least famous fight of the five. But it is the one most likely to end early.
UFC 331 Van vs. Pantoja 2 UFC Main Card SBG Odds
| Date and Time: | Saturday, September 19, 2026, 9:00 PM ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. |
| TV Coverage: | Paramount+. |
Van vs. Pantoja 2 SGB Odds:
| Fighter | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandre Pantoja | 3½ ( +110 ) | +113 |
| Joshua Van | 3½ ( -137 ) | -148 |
UFC 331 Van vs. Pantoja 2 is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The main card starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The entire sportsbook event is streaming on Paramount+.
UFC 331 Van vs. Pantoja Match Analysis
The first UFC Betting Odds meeting never became a fight. Last December, Alexandre Pantoja threw a high kick, Van caught it, dumped him, and Pantoja’s arm came apart on the way down. Herb Dean waved it off at twenty-six seconds. Van walked out champion. Pantoja walked out with a freak injury and a story that still bothers him.
Overall, the style clash is clean. Joshua Van lands more than eight significant strikes a minute, keeps coming forward, and already has a fifth-round TKO of Tatsuro Taira. By contrast, Taira is a better wrestler than most of the division. Still, he could not hold Van down long enough to steal the fight. Van’s takedown defense sits around seventy-five percent. His hips are stubborn in the open. And he is willing to trade volume until the other guy fades.
In comparison, Pantoja is the opposite kind of champion. He is thirty-six, not twenty-four, and he does not win by drowning people in punches. He wins by changing levels, chaining takedowns, taking the back, and making five-round fights feel like work. In sum, he averages nearly three takedowns per fifteen minutes. Pantoja is a real submission threat. And he has a habit of being in the fight even when the striking looks even.
UFC 331 SBG Free Picks
To conclude, Sharps believe that the best bet on this card is Joshua Van to win the rematch. Van already went five rounds as titleholder and stopped Tatsuro Taira late. Of course, that matters more than the twenty-six-second accident that started his reign.
UFC 331 SBG Best Bets: Joshua Van.