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Summary
UFC 331 is scheduled for September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, featuring a compelling main event and a pivotal lightweight co-main. Flyweight champion Joshua Van defends his title in a rematch against Alexandre Pantoja, who previously lost to Van due to injury. Initial betting odds favored Pantoja at -200, but significant line movement has made it a near pick ’em, with Van now at -107 and Pantoja at -113. The co-main event sees Arman Tsarukyan face Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight contest, potentially determining the next challenger for 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje. Tsarukyan remains a solid favorite, opening at -350 and now -380. The card also includes Patricio Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho and Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Joshua Van of Myanmar and Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil face off during the UFC 331 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
The next numbered event on the UFC schedule takes place on Saturday, September 19, from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That event, UFC 331, is headlined by a title fight and a possible title eliminator. In the UFC 331 main event, current flyweight champion Joshua Van puts his title on the line against the man he defeated for that crown, Alexandre Pantoja. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan meets Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight contest that could determine the next foe for 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje. We look at the opening betting odds and early line movement for the two fights at the top of the UFC 331 marquee.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja Arman Tsarukyan vs
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Maurício Ruffy
Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho
Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang
ForbesUFC Announces Five Fights For UFC 333: Volkanovski Vs. Evloev
Van (17-2) and Pantoja (30-6) faced off
Van (17-2) and Pantoja (30-6) faced off at UFC 323 in December. The bout lasted just 26 seconds, as an injury to Pantoja’s left arm as he fell to the mat left him unable to continue. The TKO loss ended Pantoja’s title run after four successful defenses. He initially won the UFC’s 125-pound crown in July 2023 with a split-decision win over Brandon Moreno. Pantoja’s title defense wins came against Brandon Royval (decision), Kai Asakura (submission), and Kai Kara-France (submission).
Van is coming off a May title defense win over Tatsuro Taira. That fight ended
When the odds opened for the UFC 331 main event, Van was the +170 underdog to the -200 Pantoja. Those odds have moved significantly. Today, the bout is a pick ’em with Van at -107 and Pantoja listed with odds of -113.
The co-main event of UFC 331 is scheduled
The co-main event of UFC 331 is scheduled for five rounds, which should give fight fans some indication that the promotion is treating the matchup between Tsarukyan (23-3) and Ruffy (14-2) as something special.
Tsarukyan was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev in a title fight at UFC 311 at Crypto.com Arena, but was forced from that event on weigh-in day. Tsarukyan has fought once since then, beating Dan Hooker
Ruffy is coming off a June TKO victory over Michael Chandler at the White House in June.
The UFC 331 co-main event has not seen the big swing the main event has. Tsarukyan opened at -350 and is now a -380 favorite, while Ruffy opened as the +280 underdog, and he is now listed at +303.
We will have more on UFC 331 as fight night approaches.
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Source: www.forbes.com
