UFC 331 takes place on Saturday, September 19, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with flyweight champion Joshua Van defending his title against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the main event.
The rematch comes nine months after their first meeting at UFC 323 ended after just 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered a serious elbow injury. The stakes are even higher now, with Van looking to establish himself as the legitimate champion and Pantoja aiming to reclaim the belt he lost without being decisively beaten in the Octagon.
The first fight offered little indication of how the two flyweights truly match up because Pantoja’s injury ended the contest abruptly. Pantoja began rehabilitation immediately after the injury and has spent the months since preparing to return, while Van used the time to build his championship credentials. Van defended the flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May, stopping the Japanese contender with a fifth-round TKO after a highly competitive contest.
The matchup has also developed a personal edge that was not present before the first fight. Van has repeatedly insisted he beat Pantoja and has embraced the role of provocateur during fight week, even calling himself Pantoja’s “dad” and accusing the former champion of portraying him as the bad guy. Pantoja has remained comparatively composed while making it clear that Van has the opportunity to prove his claims inside the Octagon, creating a rivalry built as much on unfinished business as on the championship itself.
Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja continue to bicker at the #UFC331 press conference:
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 18, 2026
"When I beat him, I am the greatest of all time in this flyweight division." pic.twitter.com/VtOK5O5NEc
Joshua Van enters UFC 331 as a 24-year-old champion with a 17-2 record and strong momentum. Van’s victory over Taira showed he can stay dangerous deep into a five-round fight, with his pressure and striking volume eventually overwhelming his opponent in the final round. The confidence gained from that performance could matter against Pantoja because Van now has experience fighting through adversity in a championship main event.
Van also has a significant physical-age advantage over Pantoja, who is 36 and enters the rematch with a 30-6 professional record. The 12-year gap does not automatically decide a fight at this level, but youth, pace and recovery can become important factors across 25 minutes, especially when facing an opponent returning from a major elbow injury. Van’s ability to maintain distance and force Pantoja to work for every entry could gradually tilt the fight in the champion’s favor.
The biggest danger for Van remains Pantoja’s grappling. Pantoja owns 12 submission victories and built much of his championship run around combining aggressive wrestling, clinch work and opportunistic submissions with increasingly polished striking. Van has shown solid takedown defense, but Pantoja needs only one successful transition to turn a competitive striking exchange into a completely different fight.
Pantoja’s biggest advantage is experience, and the former champion enters the rematch with one of the strongest resumes in UFC flyweight history. Before losing the belt, Pantoja defended it four times against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished fighters the division has produced. Pantoja also enters with a 30-6 record, giving him championship experience Van has not yet had time to match.
The first fight also means Pantoja has something very specific to prove. The injury cost him the championship almost immediately, leaving no opportunity to determine whether Van could actually defeat him over three or five rounds. Saturday’s rematch gives Pantoja the chance to settle that question himself, and his calm demeanor suggests the Brazilian understands that patience could be more valuable than emotional retaliation.
The injury remains the biggest unknown surrounding Pantoja. A nine-month layoff can let a veteran recover physically and sharpen his preparation, but a serious elbow injury can also affect confidence in certain grappling exchanges once a fight becomes chaotic. Van will likely test that durability early, which could force Pantoja to prove that the physical setback is completely behind him.
Joshua Van should have enough advantages in speed, activity, and sustained striking output to edge Alexandre Pantoja across five rounds. Pantoja’s grappling will create dangerous moments, and the veteran is experienced enough to make Van work throughout the fight, but consistently winning those exchanges for 25 minutes will be difficult against the younger champion. Van’s growth since the first meeting, combined with his title-fight experience against Taira, gives him the tools to avoid prolonged grappling sequences and win more minutes on the feet.
Prediction: Joshua Van by unanimous decision. Pantoja should have stretches where his pressure and grappling threaten to change the fight, but Van’s youth, pace, and confidence should let him recover from those moments and keep building momentum as the fight progresses. A closely contested rematch would also fit the storyline, with both men having enough skill and toughness to refuse to give ground over five rounds.
🚨 THE #UFC331 MAIN-EVENT IS OFFICIAL!
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 18, 2026
Alexandre Pantoja: 125 lbs
Joshua Van: 125 lbs pic.twitter.com/ubkVDY0IMT
With UFC 331 featuring several intriguing matchups beyond the main event, the rest of the main card offers plenty of opportunities for decisive performances. Arman Tsarukyan, Mauricio Ruffy, Patricio Pitbull, Dooho Choi and the rest of the featured fighters all have something significant at stake in Los Angeles. Here are the picks for how the UFC 331 main card could unfold.
| Fight | Prediction |
| Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2, flyweight title | Joshua Van by unanimous decision |
| Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy, lightweight | Arman Tsarukyan by third-round submission |
| Patricio Pitbull vs. Dooho Choi, featherweight | Dooho Choi by unanimous decision |
| Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf, heavyweight | Gable Steveson by second-round KO/TKO |
| Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski, light heavyweight | Iwo Baraniewski by first-round KO |
UFC 331 has all the ingredients for a memorable flyweight championship rematch, with an unfinished first fight, a growing personal rivalry and two fighters entering the Octagon with something important to prove. Van wants to show that the belt belongs to him, while Pantoja wants to demonstrate that an injury, rather than a definitive defeat, was responsible for ending his reign. Five rounds should finally provide the answer, and the prediction is that Van will survive Pantoja’s grappling threats to retain the title by unanimous decision.
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