Champion Joshua Van and former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja met again Saturday night in a flyweight championship rematch headlining UFC 331.
UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 took place Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with reigning flyweight champion Joshua Van defending his title against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the five-round main event. The main card streamed on Paramount+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET, according to ESPN and UFC officials, with prelims and early prelims airing on UFC Fight Pass and other platforms.
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Rematch Rooted in a Freak Injury
The championship rematch stemmed directly from the pair's first meeting at UFC 323 in December 2025, when Pantoja, then the defending champion, suffered a dislocated elbow roughly 26 seconds into the opening round while bracing after Van caught a kick, per ESPN. The injury forced a stoppage, awarding Van a TKO victory and the flyweight title in a result widely described as a freak accident rather than a clear-cut win. Pantoja entered UFC 331 following a nine-month layoff, marking his first appearance since losing the belt.
Entering the rematch, Van carried a 17-2-0 record as champion, while Pantoja, ranked No. 8 pound-for-pound by ESPN, held a 30-6-0 record. Betting markets favored Van, with CBS Sports listing him around -162 and Pantoja at +136, while other outlets, including Yahoo Sports, had the line closer, near -130 to +110, reflecting the fight's perceived competitiveness.
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Weigh-Ins and Card Confirmation
Both fighters made weight at Friday's official weigh-in in Los Angeles, each coming in at 125 pounds, Yahoo Sports reported, clearing the final regulatory step before fight night. The event's co-main event featured a five-round lightweight bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy, officially announced alongside the Van-Pantoja rematch by UFC officials in August, according to ESPN. Additional main card bouts included Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega and Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne, while confirmed prelim results included Casey O'Neill defeating Eduarda Moura by first-round armbar submission at women's flyweight.
ESPN's live coverage, credited to Brett Okamoto, Jeff Wagenheim and Dre Waters, tracked each bout's official result and provided round-by-round analysis as outcomes were finalized. Multiple outlets, including MMA Fighting, Sherdog and theScore, ran parallel live results desks corroborating the event's structure and timeline throughout the card.
