The first fight lasted 26 seconds and settled nothing. That is why UFC 331 matters.
Flyweight champion Joshua Van defends against former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The two met in December 2025 at UFC 323, where Van took the belt by technical knockout 26 seconds into the first round after Pantoja suffered an arm injury.
Nobody walked away from that satisfied. Pantoja got hurt before the fight started in any real sense, and Van won a championship without getting the chance to prove he could beat a healthy version of the best flyweight of the previous era.
The Case for Pantoja
Pantoja built his reign on being the most relentless grappler in the division. His ability to chain takedowns into back control and hunt for chokes across five rounds wore down opponent after opponent, and his cardio has never been a question.
He also has the experience edge by a wide margin in championship rounds. If this becomes a scrappy, grinding fight that reaches the fourth and fifth, that history favors the challenger.
The Case for Van
Van is one of the more exciting strikers the flyweight division has produced. His volume, his willingness to stand in the pocket, and his durability have made him appointment viewing since he arrived in the UFC as a very young fighter.
The question has always been whether he could handle sustained grappling pressure from an elite wrestler-grappler. He did not have to answer it in the first fight. He will have to answer it here.
Youth matters at 125 pounds more than at any other weight class. The pace is inhuman, and Van has the fresher body.
The Co-Main Might Steal the Show
Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy meet in a five-round lightweight title eliminator, with the winner expected to get a shot at champion Justin Gaethje.
That is a fascinating stylistic clash. Tsarukyan is a suffocating wrestler with legitimate power who has been near the title for years without getting the clean shot he wants. Ruffy is a violent, unorthodox striker who ends fights in spectacular fashion when he connects.
If Ruffy can keep it standing, this could be the best fight on the card. If Tsarukyan gets a body lock in round one, it might be the least competitive.
The Rest of the Card
Former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull makes his UFC debut against Doo Ho Choi at featherweight, which is the kind of crossover fight hardcore fans have wanted for a decade. Renato Moicano and Brian Ortega run it back at lightweight.
Gable Steveson continues his heavyweight transition against Sean Sharaf on the prelims, and Tai Tuivasa faces Robelis Despaigne in a fight that will not go to a decision.
Prelims start at 6 p.m. ET with the main card at 9 p.m. ET, streaming on Paramount+.
The Pick
Van by decision. Pantoja will have his moments on the ground, but five rounds of chasing a younger, faster, higher-volume striker is a difficult way to win a title back at this stage of a career.
Either way, we finally get to see the fight we were supposed to get in December.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.