Alexandre Pantoja is set to return to the octagon for a rematch against Joshua Van, with the UFC flyweight championship on the line at UFC 331at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Pantoja (30-6), a veteran in the flyweight division, is making his first appearance since a dramatic loss to Van (17-2) via TKO at UFC 323 last December. In that fight, Pantoja was forced to relinquish his UFC flyweight title after suffering a dislocated elbow just 26 seconds into the opening round.
Before his loss against Van, Pantoja captured the flyweight belt by defeating Brandon Moreno in 2023. He then successfully defended his title four consecutive times.
Since turning professional in 2021, Joshua Van has climbed the flyweight ranks, suffering only
two defeats in his career: a submission loss to Devon Jackson in December 2021 and a TKO loss to Charles Johnson in 2024.
Here is the estimated ringwalk time for fans eager to witness the Pantoja vs. Van rematch at UFC 331.
When does Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja start?
The main event, featuring Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja, is part of a five-bout fight main card and will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. The main event for the Van-Pantoja fight is expected to start around 11 p.m. However, the duration of the other fights will impact when Van and Pantoja will actually start.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja: How to watch UFC 331
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
- Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
- Time: 9 p.m. ET, main card / 7 p.m. ET, prelims / 5:30 p.m. ET early prelims.
- Streaming: Paramount+
Watch UFC 331 with Paramount+
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja: UFC 331 full card
Odds via BetMGM(Thursday, Sept. 17)
- Joshua Van (-135) vs. Alexandre Pantoja (+110), flyweight title bout
- Arman Tsarukyan (-350) vs. Maurcio Ruffy (+275), lightweight
- Patricio Pitbull (+200) vs. Dooho Choi (-250), featherweight
- Alonzo Menifield (+220) vs. Iwo Baraniewski (-275), light heavyweight
- Brian Ortega vs. Renato Moicano - fight canceled
Prelims
- Gable Steveson (-2000) vs. Sean Sharaf (+950), heavyweight
- Marlon Vera (+200) vs. Charles Jourdain (-250), bantamweight
- Tai Tuivasa (+475) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-650), heavyweight
- Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Joosang Yoo, featherweight (unavailable)
Early prelims
- Ryan Gandra vs. Ozzy Diaz, middleweight (unavailable)
- Edmen Shahbazyan (-165) vs. Brunno Ferreira (+135), middleweight
- Casey O’Neill (-185) vs. Eduarda Moura (+150), women’s flyweight
- Giga Chikadze (+310) vs. Joanderson Brito (-400), featherweight
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja main event: Ring walk, fight time for UFC 331
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