UFC 331 full card predictions: Is Joshua Van legit, or will Alexandre Pantoja get his belt back?

The UFC returns to Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on Saturday for UFC 331 and a big flyweight title showdown. After the anticlimactic ending to their first fight , Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja are set for a proper resolution.

In their first encounter last December, disaster struck just 26 seconds into the fight. Pantoja, then the reigning champion, threw a head kick that Van caught, forcing Pantoja to fall and post up on his arm, resulting in a gnarly elbow injury. The Brazilian legend has been on the mend ever since, while Van has fought once, successfully defending his flyweight belt against Tatsuro Taira via fifth-round TKO in May at UFC 328.

Saturday's co-main event is also intriguing, pitting consensus No. 1 lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan against surging talent Mauricio Ruffy. Although a title shot has eluded Tsarukyan since his scheduled shot at Islam Makhachev fell apart at the eleventh hour in January 2025, a win for either man puts him in an undeniable position.

UFC 331 isn't the "sexiest" card you'll ever see. But it offers up plenty of exciting matchups.

125 pounds: Joshua Van (-140) vs. Alexandre Pantoja (+115)

Pantoja's loss to Van really didn't feel like a loss, and we've treated it that way in our Uncrowned pound-for-pound rankings, where Pantoja remains the sport's No. 2-ranked fighter . That said, Van is every bit as legit as he's talked himself up to be.

Van's performance against Taira was championship quality. The man's boxing may very well be unmatched in the division, if not the whole promotion. And that's what this matchup boils down to: Whether Van can keep the fight on the feet.

Pantoja is the doggiest of dogs, as he displayed throughout his decorated reign as flyweight champion. He's extremely well-rounded and can compete anywhere, but his strengths are grappling supremacy and scramble dictation. If the positions start to flow Saturday night, you can bet Pantoja will guide the movement at every step.

The age and speed differences are so massively in Van's favor at this point that he should rightfully be favored, especially given how he leveled up in his first title defense. Yet, he still struggled in some grappling positions against Taira. What Taira lacks in experience, he makes up for it with talent, but Pantoja possesses both. I struggle to imagine Van getting out of bad positions as easily against Pantoja as he did against Taira.

That's not to say he can't, but right now it's easy to forget just how good Pantoja is. Until he's beaten without a freak injury or controversy, I'm riding with "Cannibal." Plain and simple.

155 pounds: Arman Tsarukyan (-350) vs. Maurício Ruffy (+275)

OK, I have to admit that I had some unrealistic faith in Michael Chandler to beat Ruffy, didn't I? Nonetheless, that Benoît Saint Denis loss still haunts Ruffy, especially against someone of Tsarukyan's caliber — the best 155 pounds has to offer.

Ruffy was completely lost in an exposing performance against Saint Denis. Sure, he's been improving by training alongside featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, but how much that will matter at this pace against someone like Tsarukyan is hard to say.

Tsarukyan, while one of the sport's most well-rounded competitors, is a grappler at his core and has honed his craft with a torrid streak of RAF wrestling matches in 2026. And he's done it without a cage wall to help with his takedowns. (Poor Urijah Faber.)

The vibes with this matchup are somewhat similar to the main event. Tsarukyan is a tight, technical striker, but he brings much less danger and diversity compared to Ruffy. The former Fighting Nerd is as good as it gets on the feet at lightweight. It's just that once Tsarukyan inevitably gets a hold of him, Ruffy will get battered and bruised by ground-and-pound en route to a stoppage or submission.

145 pounds: Patricio Pitbull (+225) vs. Doo Ho Choi (-275)

Speaking of level-ups, I initially leaned toward Patricio Pitbull here. Then I remembered how great Doo Ho Choi has looked on his three-fight finish streak.

Pitbull did better than people — or UFC's own commentary — gave him credit for against Aaron Pico in his last outing. But that fight was insanely telling about where the arguable Bellator G.O.A.T. stands at this juncture. Pitbull is still a dangerous, talented featherweight. He's just one step behind, staring down age 40.

Choi has really put things together and styled on all of his recent opponents while still delivering his trademark entertaining wars. Despite his forever-boyish looks, Choi is 35 years old now but clearly in his prime and not wavering when it comes to dealing damage.

265 pounds: Gable Steveson (-2500) vs. Sean Sharaf (+1050)

Listen up, folks. Olympic gold medal wrestler-turned-MMA rookie Gable Steveson definitely faced more resistance than he should have in his UFC debut. And he wasn't nearly as impressive as he should've been.

Regardless, the dude is getting matchups designed for him to shine — just in case the odds here weren't a dead giveaway.

Sean Sharaf is a modern-day case of someone holding a UFC roster spot despite clearly being nowhere near best-in-the-world caliber. Sharaf has been knocked out in his two UFC fights, both against worldbeaters Junior Tafa and Steven Asplund. (That's sarcasm.)

Steveson by whatever he wants. That's what this fight is.

205 pounds: Alonzo Menifield (+200) vs. Iwo Baraniewski (-250)

Iwo Baraniewski is a human car crash. In three UFC fights, he's earned Performance of the Night bonuses for each win, all in under 90 seconds.

There isn't much to break down with this guy's fights. He comes forward like a wrecking ball with arms. Alonzo Menifield, while built similarly, will be forced to deal with that pressure rather than create it.

It's a bend-or-break position for anyone across from Baraniewski, and I expect him to keep on keeping on with another quick, absurd knockout.

Marlon "Chito" Vera and Tai Tuivasa are both in the utmost back-against-the-wall positions imaginable. It's honestly stunning to see the latter still hold a roster spot as he nears Tony Ferguson's all-time UFC record of eight consecutive losses; Tuivasa heads into Robelis Despaigne's Octagon return bout reeling from seven straight defeats.

Casey O'Neill is back for her second fight of 2026 after a stellar March return. Women's flyweight is all over the place right now, and O'Neill has always been a notable prospect. If she can stay on a hot streak without injury interruptions, she could finally make a run into contention.

Charles Jourdain (-235) def. Marlon Vera (+190)

Robelis Despaigne (-750) def. Tai Tuivasa (+525)

Yoo Joo-sang (-235) def. Michael Aswell Jr. (+190)

Ryan Gandra (-550) def. Ozzy Diaz (+400)

Edmen Shahbazyan (-175) def. Brunno Ferreira (+145)

Casey O'Neill (-235) def. Eduarda Moura (+190)

Joanderson Brito (-425) def. Giga Chikadze (+310)