UFC 331 is finally here.
For the first time since UFC 330 last month, the promotion hosts a numbered event. In the main event, flyweight champion Joshua Van rematches Alexandre Pantoja after an arm injury in their first fight caused a title change.
Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan looks to make himself undeniable regarding the next lightweight title shot when he takes on Mauricio Ruffy. Brian Ortega also makes his lightweight debut in a rematch against fellow former title challenger Renato Moicano. Featherweight veterans Patricio Freire and Doo-ho Choi also clash, and light heavyweight prospect Iwo Baraniewski seeks a ranking against Alonzo Menifield.
Below that main card are these 3 fighters to keep an eye on…
Joanderson Brito has had a very eventtful UFC career so far.
Despite dropping a majority decision against future two-time challenger Diego Lopes, “Tubarao” was signed to the promotion anyway and made the most of the gift. After losing his debut, he reeled off five straight finishes, marking him as someone to watch at 145 lbs.
Consecutive losses to William Gomis and Pat Sabatini seemingly ended the hype around Brito, but he has since won two straight, including a ninja choke against Jordan Leavitt. He now faces the biggest test of his career thus far: formerly perennially ranked contender Giga Chikadze, who is on a three-fight skid and needs a major rebound performance.
Casey O’Neill boasts one of the most impressive debut years of any UFC fighter in the 2020s.
The Scottish-born Australian flyweight made her promotional debut in February 2021 and delivered an emphatic performance, retiring Shana Dobson with a second-round TKO. Two more finishes in June and October that year earner her Newcomer/Rookie of the Year awards from both the official UFC website and MMA Fighting.
The momentum continued with a dominant decision win against a retiring Roxanne Modafferi in 2022, but then a major fall happened. O’Neill tore her ACL, then was listless in a decision loss to Jennifer Maia in her in-cage return. The nadir came when she was armbarred by Ariana Lipski.
Since then, however, O’Neill has been slowly rebuilding herself. A decision win over Luana Santos was followed by a long 19-month hiatus, then an explosive knockout of Gabriella Fernanades. Now, she seeks her third straight win against a Brazilian – this time in Eduarda Moura. A win here should only improve her stock as she aims to claw her way back up the rankings.
Charles Jourdain has been on a roll since moving down to bantamweight. Three straight wins (including two finishes), three straight bonuses, all in Canada – that streak has made him a dark horse contender in his new division.
Now, Jourdain draws the biggest name of his career: former title challenger Marlon Vera. “Chito” is currently mired in a four-fight skid, but as his 2020 upset of Sean O’Malley shows, he is still capable of being dangerous.
A win for “Air Jourdain” will represent his first outside Canada at 135, and it will also herald the arrival of a new title threat.
Besides those three, there are two more heavyweights in the prelims that deserve mention.
Robelis Despaigne is somehow returning to the UFC after the disaster that was his first stint. His welcome-back committee will be Tai Tuivasa, who has somehow not been cut despite having lost seven straight fights.
Meanwhile, Gable Steveson is entering his second UFC fight. He had a quick, dominant finish in his debut, and Sean Sharaf is expected to be nothing more than another sitting duck. Eventually, however, the quality of his opposition needs to improve, even if only gradually…
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