UFC 331 takes place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on Saturday the 19th of September (early Sunday the 20th in South Africa), with a flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja topping the bill. We take a closer look at the Main Event as well as two additional bouts from the Main Card from a betting angle below.
Click here to bet on the full fight card.
JOSHUA VAN vs ALEXANDRE PANTOJA
Flyweight – Main Event – Title Fight:
Joshua Van enters his first title defence with a UFC record of 10 wins and 1 loss. The champion is a composed and accurate striker who maintains a demanding pace, works effectively in combinations and has demonstrated considerable finishing power.
Van claimed the title with a first round technical knockout victory over Pantoja in December before successfully defending the belt by stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round. Those results extended his winning streak to seven UFC fights following his knockout defeat against Charles Johnson in 2024.
Alexandre Pantoja returns with a resume of 14 wins and 3 losses inside the promotion. The Brazilian is an experienced and well-rounded competitor who combines relentless pressure with durable striking and a dangerous submission game.
Pantoja has not competed since losing the championship to Van by after only 26 seconds due to suffering a brutal arm injury when landing on the canvas. Before that setback he had recorded eight consecutive victories, including successful title defences against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura, Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France.
BETTING – click here to bet
Joshua Van 1.73
Alexandre Pantoja 2.15
PREDICTION:
Pantoja’s experience, grappling and championship pedigree make him dangerous, particularly if he can force Van into prolonged exchanges on the canvas. However, Van has developed rapidly and followed his knockout victory in their first meeting with another impressive stoppage against Taira. His speed, accuracy and ability to maintain his output has to be respected but I am backing Pantoja to get it done via the judges’ scorecards.
ARMAN TSARUKYAN vs MAURICIO RUFFY
Lightweight – Main Card Bout:
Arman Tsarukyan enters this lightweight contest with a tally of 10 wins and 2 losses under the institution. The Armenian is an accomplished wrestler who applies constant pressure, controls opponents effectively on the ground and continues to improve his striking.
Tsarukyan comes into the matchup on a five-fight winning streak after submitting Dan Hooker in the second round. He had previously earned victories over Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Joaquim Silva and Damir Ismagulov with his only UFC defeats coming against Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot.
Mauricio Ruffy holds a UFC record of 5 wins and 1 loss. The Brazilian is a creative and explosive striker who possesses excellent timing, carries significant knockout power and is particularly dangerous when given space to attack.
Ruffy has produced consecutive knockout victories over Michael Chandler and Rafael Fiziev since suffering a submission defeat against Benoit Saint Denis. His earlier UFC victories came against King Green, James Llontop and Jamie Mullarkey.
BETTING – click here to bet
Arman Tsarukyan 1.26
Mauricio Ruffy 4.00
PREDICTION:
Ruffy’s speed and knockout power make him extremely dangerous whenever the contest remains at striking range. Tsarukyan, however, has the wrestling ability required to limit those opportunities and has already proven himself against elite lightweight opposition. The Armenian should apply pressure, mix his combinations with repeated takedowns and gradually wear down Ruffy. I expect Tsarukyan to secure a submission victory during the middle rounds.
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PATRICIO PITBULL vs DOOHO CHOI
Featherweight – Main Card Bout:
Patricio Pitbull heads into this clash with a record of 1 win and 2 losses under the organisation. The Brazilian is a powerful and technically skilled striker who also possesses a strong grappling game and considerable experience from competing in championship contests prior to the UFC.
Pitbull suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Aaron Pico in his latest appearance. That followed a decision victory over Dan Ige, which gave him his first UFC success after losing his promotional debut against Yair Rodriguez.
Dooho Choi enters the contest having accumulated 5 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw since joining the UFC. The South Korean is an aggressive striker who carries genuine knockout power and has stopped each of his five UFC opponents in the fights he has won.
Choi is unbeaten in his last four appearances and comes into the matchup following three consecutive knockout victories. He stopped Daniel Santos in the second round after previously finishing Nate Landwehr in the third and Bill Algeo in the second.
BETTING – click here to bet
Patricio Pitbull 3.40
Dooho Choi 1.36
PREDICTION:
Pitbull is the more versatile fighter and could create problems by mixing his counter striking with takedowns. However, his UFC performances have lacked consistency while Choi enters the contest with stronger momentum after producing three consecutive stoppage victories. The South Korean should hold the advantage in speed and attacking output, which could allow him to take control as the fight develops. I expect Choi to claim a knockout victory in the second round.
SUGGESTED BETS:
Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja
Pantoja by Decision at 5.75
Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy
Tsarukyan by Submission at 2.90
Patricio Pitbull vs Dooho Choi
Choi by Knockout at 2.45
The Treble of all 3 bets to arrive works out to 40.85
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
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