UFC 331: Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 Preview & Prediction

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Joshua Van, the second youngest champion of all time after Jon Jones, grants one of the greatest flyweights of all time, Alexandre Pantoja, his deserved rematch in the UFC 331 main event.

Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 facts

What time are Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja expected to walk out? 20 September 2026 at 4:30 am

Where is UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2? Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, USA

Where can I get tickets for UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 331

What TV channel is UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount

Where can I stream UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass

UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 main card

Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja (Flyweight)

Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)

Patricio Pitbull vs Choi Doo-ho (Featherweight)

Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf (Heavyweight)

Alonzo Menifield vs Iwo Baraniewski (Light Heavyweight)

UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 prelims

Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain (Bantamweight)

Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne (Heavyweight)

Michael Aswell Jr. vs Yoo Joo-sang (Featherweight)

Ryan Gandra vs Osman Diaz (Middleweight)

Edmen Shahbazyan vs Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)

Casey O'Neill vs Eduarda Moura (Women's Flyweight)

Giga Chikadze vs Joanderson Brito (Featherweight)

Joshua Van: “The Fearless” defends the belt he never really got to win

Joshua Van (17-2) became the second-youngest champion in UFC history behind Jon Jones when he took the belt from Pantoja at UFC 323, the first and only titleholder born in the 2000s. The Myanmar-born, Houston-based 24-year-old is on a seven fight win streak and made his first defence in May, grinding out difficult grappling positions before stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round. He has arguably the finest boxing in the entire promotion: elite volume, a piston-like jab, outstanding head movement and lovely counters in the pocket. His cardio is good but during gruelling fights it can come and go in waves.

Alexandre Pantoja: One of the greatest flyweights ever wants closure

Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) owns the flyweight records for wins, finishes and submissions. He took the belt from Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 and defended it four times against Royval, Erceg, Asakura and Kai Kara-France, entering into some people’s flyweight goat conversations. The 36-year-old Brazilian is a dawg in the purest sense, pushing a gruelling pace and dragging opponents into ugly fights by blending his striking with constant takedown entries. Pantoja’s spent the last nine months recovering from the dislocated elbow that cost him the title.

Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 prediction

The first fight told us nothing. Van caught a head kick, Pantoja posted on the canvas as he fell, and a five-year unbeaten run ended without a punch being thrown.

What has happened since matters more. Against Taira, Van stuffed takedowns from an elite grappler, and when he was put down he managed to get back up. Taira may well be the better grappler of the two (Pantoja), and he could not find Van’s back across 25 minutes. Pantoja has more dog in him, but he is also more aggressive once he lands in top position, hunting ground and pound and submission openings, and those actions give a window for Van to scramble up.

Early on, Van stuffs whatever comes his way. Pantoja will have to wear him down before the takedowns start landing, which means he needs this to be ugly. His route is to read when the momentum starts to shift, pile on the pressure when Van’s volume dips, keep mixing in level changes, and drag this into deep waters. What he cannot do is make it a technical fight, Van’s way too good on the feet.

Charles Johnson knocked out Van in 2024, so the chin isn’t untouchable, but Pantoja is unlikely to finish him while both are fresh, he doesn’t possess the prospect killing capabilities as Johnson. There is also a question over whether he trusts the head kick again after what it cost him last time.

I can see Van pushing Pantoja up to the fence, ripping the body shots, and finding a finish in the fourth or fifth round.

Prediction: Joshua Van to win