Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is inching closer to its upcoming UFC 331 fight card, featuring the overdue championship rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. The action gets underway this Sat. night (Sept. 19, 2026) on Paramount+ from inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., also featuring a five-round lightweight co-main event pitting Arman Tsarukyan against Mauricio Ruffy.
All four combatants will be a part of the UFC 331 press conference, along with other select fighters,
LIVE at 7 p.m. ET in the embedded video above.
“I think Pantoja probably has the advantage,” former UFC flyweight Joseph Benavidez told MMA Junkie. “I feel he is so much further advanced in one of the arts. He has such an advantage there. Van has a distinct advantage in boxing, but you don’t necessarily see that advantage taken advantage of on Pantoja just because of the way he fights. He’s always in your face.”
“Van does have good inside the pocket striking, so that will be telling because Pantoja’s always very close, so that will be different for him,” Benavidez continued. “But I just think Pantoja knows what he has to do to win. He’s been a long-reigning champ and it’s just one of those things where he’s not going to try to prove anything else because he knows where he’s so much better. I think Pantoja is very good at that.”
For the finalized UFC 331 fight card and Paramount+ lineup click here.
