UFC 331 Odds

UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 Odds

The UFC returns to Los Angeles on Saturday, September 19, when UFC 331 lands at Crypto.com Arena with a flyweight title rematch that never got a real ending the first time around. Joshua Van defends his belt against former champion Alexandre Pantoja, and the promotion has stacked the undercard with enough contenders and grudge matches to make this one of the deepest cards of the fall.

Unfinished Business at 125

Van's reign began under bizarre circumstances. At UFC 323 last December, Pantoja threw a high kick that Van caught and dumped him to the canvas with, Pantoja's arm dislocated on impact, and referee Herb Dean waved the fight off just 26 seconds into round one. Van became the second-youngest champion in UFC history, but the sport was robbed of any real answer to who the better fighter actually is. That question finally gets addressed over five rounds in Los Angeles.

Pantoja, 30-6 and one of the most durable, well-rounded 125-pounders the division has produced, will look to erase the freak finish with the kind of grinding, phase-shifting performance that made him champion in the first place, chain wrestling, sharp counters, and a killer submission game once the fight hits the mat. Van, only 24 and 17-2, has to prove the finish wasn't a fluke of circumstance. He's shown flashes of high-level scrambling and finishing instinct, but this will be his first true championship-level test across a full five rounds. Whoever adjusts fastest between the second and third round likely walks away with the belt.

Tsarukyan's Crossroads Fight

Arman Tsarukyan enters as the No. 1-ranked lightweight and had reportedly been linked to a bout with BMF champion Charles Oliveira before personal tragedy, the death of his longtime teammate Allan Nascimento, reshuffled his plans. Instead, he'll face Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round showcase that Ruffy has openly called a title eliminator in his own mind. Ruffy is riding a two-fight knockout streak over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, the latter finished with a spinning wheel kick, and has said Tsarukyan is the "toughest challenger" of his career heading into fight week.

Stylistically this is a classic wrestler-versus-striker puzzle. Tsarukyan's elite top game and forward pressure will try to smother Ruffy's power and range, while Ruffy needs to keep the fight standing and find the finishing shot he's shown he's capable of landing against anyone. A win for Ruffy would instantly vault him into title contention; a win for Tsarukyan reasserts him as the clearest threat to the 155-pound throne.

Featured Bouts Worth Circling

Patricio Pitbull steps in against South Korea's Doo Ho Choi in a featherweight clash pitting Bellator pedigree and veteran craft against a hard-hitting striker looking to climb the rankings. And in a rematch nearly a decade in the making, Renato Moicano meets Brian Ortega, who is now moving up to lightweight after their first encounter back in 2017 ended with Moicano landing an ill-advised takedown and immediately getting caught in a third-round guillotine. Ortega, a two-time featherweight title challenger, brings dangerous jiu-jitsu to a new weight class, while Moicano will look to avoid the exact mistake that cost him nine years ago.

What to Watch for on the Prelims

The undercard is loaded with fighters trying to make a statement before the main card lights come on. Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist still building his MMA resume at 4-0, takes on Sean Sharaf in a heavyweight bout that will test whether his wrestling base translates against a live opponent with something to prove. Tai Tuivasa, forever a crowd favorite, meets Cuban prospect Robelis Despaigne in a fight that could end early given both men's power.

Bantamweight action features Marlon Vera against Charles Jourdain, a pairing of two veterans who always bring finishing intent, while Alonzo Menifield faces unbeaten light heavyweight Iwo Baraniewski, who will try to keep his zero intact against a heavy-handed veteran. Middleweight gets a pair of intriguing looks with Edmen Shahbazyan facing Brunno Ferreira and Ryan Gandra taking on Ozzy Diaz, both matchups featuring fighters who need a win to stay relevant in a crowded division.

The women's flyweight bout between Casey O'Neill and Eduarda Moura is worth catching for fans who follow the division's depth beneath the title picture, and the featherweight opener between Giga Chikadze and Joanderson Brito pits a veteran kickboxer against a dangerous finisher looking to make a statement in front of the UFC fans. Round out the broadcast with Michael Aswell Jr. against Joo Sang Yoo, a featherweight scrap between two fighters looking for their first real signature win inside the octagon.

UFC 331 airs live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Paramount+, with early prelims around 5 p.m. ET, prelims at 6 p.m. ET, and the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET.