UFC 331: Pantoja vs Van Rematch for Flyweight Title
The men’s flyweights step into the spotlight on Saturday night, and they do it with a score to settle.
At UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, former champion Alexandre Pantoja returns from a nine-month layoff to challenge Joshua Van for the title in a main event rematch that still feels unfinished. The main card starts at 9 p.m. ET, but this one has been building since the first exchange of their last fight.
Back in December at UFC 323, the rivalry barely had time to breathe. Pantoja, ESPN’s No. 8-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, dislocated his elbow in the opening seconds. The injury left him unable to continue, handed Van a TKO victory, and with it the men’s flyweight belt. It was a coronation wrapped in controversy, a championship win that came with an asterisk in the minds of many.
Van didn’t sit on it. While Pantoja healed, the new champion went straight into validation mode. He defended the belt against rising contender Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May and closed the show with authority, scoring a fifth-round knockout to stamp his name on the division. That finish didn’t just secure the title; it announced Van as a dangerous closer at 125 pounds.
Now the belt is on the line again, but this time with the story everyone wanted the first time: a healthy Pantoja, a confident champion, and no early exit.
Tsarukyan returns, Ruffy brings the power
The co-main event at UFC 331 offers a different kind of tension.
Top-10 lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy collide in a matchup that pits one of the sport’s premier grapplers against one of its most ruthless punchers. Tsarukyan has not fought in the Octagon since November 2025, a gap that would raise questions for most contenders. He has stayed in the grind, though, keeping sharp in competitive wrestling matches with RAF and keeping his profile high as a growing favorite among fans on social media.
Ruffy comes in with a far simpler calling card: he switches the lights off. Thirteen of his 14 career wins have ended in knockouts, including his two 2026 victories over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler. When he connects clean, careers can change in a single round.
It’s a classic clash of styles. If Tsarukyan drags this into deep water, his wrestling and pace can smother almost anyone at 155. If Ruffy finds his range early, the night can be short and violent.
From a disputed flyweight throne to a lightweight collision between a technician and a finisher, Los Angeles gets a card built on resolution and risk. Brett Okamoto, Jeff Wagenheim and Dre Waters will be cageside to break down every moment as it unfolds.
