UFC 331 Odds: Van vs. Pantoja 2 Fight Card & Preview

UFC 331, branded Crypto.com UFC 331 for sponsorship purposes, takes place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The event marks the promotion's sixth visit to Los Angeles and its first trip back to the city since UFC 227 in August 2018.

Flyweight champion Joshua Van headlines against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in Van vs. Pantoja 2, a rematch that arrives just over nine months after their first meeting. Van won that December 2025 fight at UFC 323 by TKO only 26 seconds into the first round, a finish that was a result of an arm injury Pantoja suffered. Van has since made one successful defense of the belt, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round at UFC 328 in May. Pantoja, the No. 2-ranked flyweight behind Van, gets an immediate opportunity to reclaim the title he held for more than two years.

The co-main event pairs No. 3 Arman Tsarukyan with No. 10 Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round lightweight bout. Tsarukyan was originally expected to face Charles Oliveira, with the matchup at one point linked to Oliveira's symbolic BMF title before shifting to a non-title bout. Oliveira withdrew in early August, and Ruffy stepped in as the replacement.

The main card also features Patricio Pitbull against Choi Doo-ho and a light heavyweight clash between Alonzo Menifield and Iwo Baraniewski.

Betcris UFC Odds

UFC 331 Date and Location

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Main Card Start: 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT (Paramount+)

UFC 331 Main Event and Co-Main Event

Main Event: Joshua Van (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja (Flyweight Championship)
Co-Main Event: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)

UFC 331 Main Event Preview & Prediction

Tempers were already high before either man stepped on the scale. At the press conference, Van needled Pantoja about the injury that ended their first fight, saying he "would have still whooped his ass" regardless of how it ended. Pantoja shot back that Van needed to watch his mouth, and the two nearly had to be separated by security during their stare down.

Fighter Comparison: Tale of the Tape

Van (17-2), age 24, fights out of Houston with 4oz. Fight Club and holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, though nine of his 17 career wins have come by knockout. At 5-foot-5 with a 65-inch reach, he gives up three inches of reach to the challenger.

Pantoja (30-6), age 36, brings a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from American Top Team and a submission resume that includes 12 finishes by tap. The Brazilian is a former champion who defended the flyweight title four times before running into Van, and he remains the more experienced grappler in the division.

Tactical Keys to Victory

For Van: Keep the pace high and continue forcing exchanges early, the way he did in the finish over Pantoja and in his stoppage of Taira. Van's power has shown up against durable, experienced opposition, and a fast start could again put Pantoja in trouble before the veteran finds his rhythm.

For Pantoja: Avoid the kind of wild scramble that led to the first-fight injury and get the fight to the mat on his own terms. Pantoja's 12 submission wins make him a threat any time he secures top position, and a full camp gives him a chance to set a smarter pace than the 26-second sample size from the first fight.

Best Bets and Main Event Prediction

Van enters as a moderate favorite at -133, with Pantoja priced at +113.

Prediction: The brief nature of the first fight leaves plenty about this matchup still unanswered. Pantoja's loss came from an injury rather than clean, sustained output from Van, and the former champion now has a full training camp to game plan around Van's pressure. Still, Van has looked sharp since winning the belt, following it up with a fifth-round stoppage of Taira. Pantoja's grappling gives him a real path back to the title, but Van gets the slight edge on recent form and momentum. Pick: Van by decision or late stoppage.

Full UFC 331 Fight Card & Opening Lines

UFC 331 features 12 bouts across the main and preliminary cards, all streaming on Paramount+. Below is the complete lineup as currently scheduled.

Main Card Fights

Flyweight Championship: Joshua Van (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja

Lightweight: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Featherweight: Patricio Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho

Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski

Preliminary Card Matchups

Heavyweight: Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf

Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain

Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne

Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira

Featherweight: Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito

Women's Flyweight: Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura

Middleweight: Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz

Featherweight: Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang

The Vera-Jourdain bantamweight bout was originally scheduled for a July Fight Night card before moving to UFC 331.

UFC 331 Betting Odds & Prop Markets

Here are the UFC odds at Betcris Arizona for the full card.

Moneyline & Full Card Odds

Method of Victory Prop Bets (KO, Submission, Decision)

Specific method-of-victory props were not available at the time of writing, but recent form points to a few tendencies worth watching. Ruffy has won 13 of his 14 fights by knockout, including finishes in four of his last five bouts, making him a live finishing threat against Tsarukyan. Pantoja has ended 12 of his 30 wins by submission and has finished three of his last four title challengers, so a grappling-heavy path back to gold remains his most likely route. Steveson, unbeaten at 4-0 as a pro, has yet to see a decision.

Round Betting Over/Under Lines

The main event total sits at 4.5 rounds, with the under favored, in line with how quickly the first Van-Pantoja fight ended. Steveson vs. Sharaf carries a short total on the card at 1.5 rounds, with the under a heavy favorite there as well.

How to Watch UFC 331: Live Stream & Broadcast Times

UFC 331 streams live on Paramount+ in the United States, with early prelims beginning at 5:00 PM ET, prelims at 7:00 PM ET, and the main card at 9:00 PM ET.”

US, UK & Regional PPV Streaming Options (Paramount+)

The full UFC 331 card streams on Paramount+ in the United States, covering every bout from the earliest preliminary fight through the main card. International viewers should check with local UFC broadcast partners for streaming availability in their region, as options vary by country.

Main Card & Preliminary Start Times by Timezone

Early Prelims: 5:00 PM ET (2:00 PM PT) — Paramount+, UFC Fight Pass
Prelims: 7:00 PM ET (4:00 PM PT) — Paramount+
Main Card: 9:00 PM ET (6:00 PM PT) — Paramount+

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