UFC 331 Rematch Set for September 19 at Crypto.com Arena

Joshua Van will defend his UFC flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch headlining UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The first fight lasted just 26 seconds when Pantoja dislocated his elbow after Van caught a kick. Van has since successfully defended the belt once, while Pantoja has recovered from injury and now seeks to reclaim the championship.

How the first fight ended in 26 seconds

Van and Pantoja collided at UFC 323 in December, with the bout ending almost immediately. Van caught a Pantoja kick and dumped the then-champion to the canvas. As Pantoja fell, he planted his left arm on the mat, causing a dislocation that forced the fight to stop. The injury ended Pantoja’s eight-fight win streak and his four-title defenses, making a rematch inevitable given the controversial nature of the result.

Van’s reign and title defense

Since winning the belt, Van has extended his win streak to seven fights. The 24-year-old became one of the UFC’s youngest champions and defended his title once against Tatsuro Taira in May, earning a fifth-round knockout that was named Fight of the Night. Van has repeatedly expressed interest in running back the matchup to silence doubts about his championship status.

Pantoja’s recovery and comeback bid

Pantoja spent nine months rehabilitating from the elbow dislocation before returning to competition. The 36-year-old Brazilian is seeking to become just the third flyweight in UFC history to reclaim the championship, joining Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. Before losing the belt, Pantoja defended the flyweight title four times against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France.

Tsarukyan returns in co-main event

Arman Tsarukyan will face Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event. Tsarukyan (23-3) is ranked No. 2 in the lightweight division and returns to the UFC for the first time since November 2022, when he submitted Dan Hooker in the second round. The 29-year-old is riding a five-fight win streak and is widely seen as the most deserving No. 1 lightweight title challenger. Ruffy (14-2) is ranked No. 7 and comes off a knockout victory over Michael Chandler in June.

Final Thoughts

Van enters as the slight favorite with opening odds near pick-em, while Pantoja is listed at a light favorite at minus-120 according to DraftKings. The rematch offers both fighters a chance to settle the disputed result from December.

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