UFC 331 arrives at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The main card starts at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with Joshua Van defending his flyweight championship against Alexandre Pantoja.
The rematch offers a much tighter betting market than several supporting bouts. My preference is Van’s moneyline, but price discipline matters more than filling a ticket with heavy favorites.
UFC 331 Odds And Updated Fight Card
The official card update removed Brian Ortega’s meeting with Renato Moicano following Ortega’s injury. These September 16 reference odds cover the remaining twelve matchups; prices and bout order can change.
| Bout | Moneyline | Total |
| Mauricio Ruffy Arman Tsarukyan | +284 -350 | O 3.5 (+153) U 3.5 (-180) |
| Doo Ho Choi Patricio Pitbull | -275 +228 | O 2.5 (-101) U 2.5 (-115) |
| Iwo Baraniewski Alonzo Menifield | -240 +201 | O 1.5 (+216) U 1.5 (-260) |
| Sean Sharaf Gable Steveson | +1200 -2500 | O 1.5 (+354) U 1.5 (-450) |
| Charles Jourdain Marlon Vera | -212 +179 | O 2.5 (-235) U 2.5 (+197) |
| Robelis Despaigne Tai Tuivasa | -700 +512 | O 1.5 (+216) U 1.5 (-260) |
| Brunno Ferreira Edmen Shahbazyan | +133 -156 | O 1.5 (-145) U 1.5 (+124) |
| Joanderson Brito Giga Chikadze | -400 +319 | O 1.5 (-165) U 1.5 (+140) |
| Eduarda Moura Casey O’Neill | +173 -205 | O 2.5 (-235) U 2.5 (+197) |
| Ozzy Diaz Ryan Gandra | +371 -475 | O 1.5 (+181) U 1.5 (-215) |
| Joo Sang Yoo Michael Aswell Jr. | -250 +208 | O 2.5 (-200) U 2.5 (+169) |
| Alexandre Pantoja Joshua Van | +110 -129 | O 4.5 (+145) U 4.5 (-170) |
Van’s -129 requires a 56.3% win rate on decided bets to break even. Pantoja’s +110 requires 47.6%. Those figures include bookmaker margin and are not independent estimates of either fighter’s chances, which is why it always pays to compare UFC odds across top sportsbooks before locking in your wager.
Van’s Recent Defense Matters More Than The First Meeting
Their UFC 323 encounter ended after 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered an arm injury. That result established a champion without providing a meaningful sample of this matchup.
Van supplied better evidence on May 9, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round. ESPN’s title defense recap documents his response to early grappling pressure.
His UFC profile lists 8.43 significant strikes landed per minute and 76% takedown defense. The first number captures his offensive pace; the second does not guarantee he can keep Pantoja away from his back.
My preferred Van game plan starts with short combinations and immediate exits. Remaining stationary after landing would invite a clinch. Making Pantoja restart each entry could preserve the champion’s striking advantage and gradually increase the challenger’s workload.
The Taira performance supports trusting Van beyond the opening rounds. It does not make the two challengers interchangeable or erase the consequences of one failed escape.
Pantoja’s Submission Threat Keeps This Competitive
Pantoja enters with a 30-6 record and twelve submission victories. His championship run included rear-naked choke finishes against Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France, giving his grappling argument substance beyond reputation.
The challenger’s clearest route is shortening exchanges, connecting his takedown attempts and advancing before Van can rebuild his stance. A successful entry can turn the champion’s offensive output into several minutes spent defending.
That makes +110 more interesting than the first result suggests. I still prefer Van’s activity and recent evidence across championship rounds, but Pantoja does not need to win an extended boxing contest to reclaim the belt.
The main-event total is 4.5 rounds: over +145, under -170. Both men have finishing routes, making a moneyline selection easier than forecasting the precise timing of a stoppage.
Tsarukyan And The Supporting Card Require Different Prices
Tsarukyan meets Ruffy over five scheduled rounds. His wrestling offers a repeatable route to limiting Ruffy’s striking opportunities, particularly if he can force the Brazilian to defend consecutive takedown attempts.
Ruffy’s record supplies evidence for both arguments: he lost by submission to Benoît Saint Denis in September 2025, then stopped Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler in 2026. His recent improvement deserves respect, but it does not settle the wrestling question.
Our Gamrot fight analysis examines a related problem: repeated wrestling exchanges can matter more than one spectacular takedown.
I lean Tsarukyan, but -350 requires 77.8% on decided bets. Ruffy’s finishing threat makes that a demanding price. Under 3.5 rounds at -180 needs 64.3%, leaving little room for a prolonged positional contest.
Choi brings three consecutive stoppage wins against Bill Algeo, Nate Landwehr and Daniel Santos. That momentum explains favoritism; -275 still demands careful opponent-specific assessment.
Steveson’s -2500 is even less inviting: a $100 stake produces just $4 profit. Despaigne at -700 and Brito at -400 create similar questions about paying for a likely winner rather than finding an attractive wager.
Those prices are reasons to scrutinize risk, not automatic invitations to back every underdog.
UFC 331 Best Bet And Prediction
UFC Best bet: Joshua Van -129. His sustained offense and demonstrated recovery from difficult positions give him my narrow advantage. Pass beyond -140 rather than chasing the same opinion at a worse price.
UFC Prediction: Van by late TKO. Treat that method as a forecast, not a separately priced recommendation. Pantoja’s submission route remains the biggest threat.
UFC Co-Main Lean: Tsarukyan to win; no moneyline bet at -350. Keep stakes modest, avoid stacking huge favorites and check final weigh-ins before committing.
