UFC 331 Fight Card Announced: Van-Pantoja Rematch and Tsarukyan-Ruffy Showdown
UFC 331 will feature 13 fights at Crypto.com Arena on September 19.
1UFC 331 Main Card Revealed
The full 13-fight card for UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles has been announced. The main event will feature a flyweight championship rematch between titleholder Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja, continuing their unfinished business from last year. In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy will clash in a potential lightweight title eliminator. The event is expected to be one of UFC's standout shows in 2026.
2Van-Pantoja Rematch
The championship bout between Joshua Van (17-2) and Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) was cut short at UFC 323 last December when Pantoja suffered a left arm injury just 26 seconds into the fight, resulting in a TKO victory for Van. Pantoja had successfully defended his title four times before this fight. Van most recently retained his belt with a fifth-round TKO against Tatsuro Taira in May.
3Lightweight Title Eliminator
The co-main event features a five-round lightweight bout between Arman Tsarukyan (23-3) and Mauricio Ruffy (14-2), with the winner likely earning a title shot against champion Justin Gaethje. Tsarukyan bounced back from his UFC 311 withdrawal by submitting Dan Hooker last November. Ruffy comes off a June TKO victory over Michael Chandler. UFC's decision to make this a five-round fight underscores its significance.
4Other Notable Fights on the Card
UFC 331's stacked card also features matchups including Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho, Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega, and Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski. Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson will make his UFC debut against Sean Sharaf. Former title challenger Tai Tuivasa returns to face Robelis Despaigne in a heavyweight clash.
5Pantoja's Championship Legacy
Alexandre Pantoja won the UFC flyweight title in July 2023 with a split decision victory over Brandon Moreno. The Brazilian successfully defended his belt four times against Brandon Royval (decision), Kai Asakura (submission), and Kai Kara-France (submission) before his injury-shortened fight with Van. Now he gets his chance to reclaim the title in this highly anticipated rematch.
6Tsarukyan's UFC Journey
Arman Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 311 but withdrew on weigh-in day. The Armenian-born fighter rebounded by submitting Dan Hooker last November. With a UFC record of 23-3, Tsarukyan now has the opportunity to earn a title shot against Justin Gaethje if he can get past the dangerous Ruffy.
7Ruffy's Meteoric Rise
Mauricio Ruffy made waves in June when he TKO'd former title challenger Michael Chandler in just his second UFC appearance. The Brazilian's victory at the White House marked his 10th career win by knockout out of 14 total victories. A win over Tsarukyan would position Ruffy for a potential lightweight title shot in what would be a remarkable career ascent.
8UFC's 2026 Strategy
UFC 331 represents a key event in the promotion's 2026 calendar. The Crypto.com Arena show features both the Van-Pantoja championship rematch and the Tsarukyan-Ruffy eliminator as centerpieces. UFC appears to be doubling down on star-powered fight cards to drive pay-per-view sales and fan engagement. Industry observers predict record numbers for this event, which has already captured the attention of the MMA world.