UFC 331 in Los Angeles: Main Fights and Event Card

On the night of September 20, Los Angeles will host a major mixed martial arts event. At UFC 331, the main event will be a rematch in the flyweight division between reigning champion Joshua Van and former belt holder Alexandre Pantoja, reports UNN.

Alexandre Pantoja - Joshua Van: the main fight of UFC 331

The main intrigue of UFC 331 will be the rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. Van enters the rematch as the UFC flyweight champion.

In December 2025, the main fight of UFC 323 concluded in Las Vegas, featuring Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van. The fight ended just 24 seconds after it began, as Pantoja landed heavily on his arm from his full height and apparently broke it.

The Brazilian was unable to continue the fight, and the referee had to record Van's early victory. Thus, Pantoja lost the championship belt, while Van, in turn, became the league's new champion.

The reigning champion Van is the favorite, but by a very narrow margin. This is because after the first fight, no one received an answer to the question of which of the two fighters was stronger. The first round's half-minute and Pantoja's injury only added intrigue to this question, and only the rematch will provide the answer.

Pantoja underwent treatment for his injury and did not compete. However, before that he had won eight fights in a row against such strong opponents as Kape, Erceg, Royval, Moreno, and Kara-France.

Pantoja holds several UFC records:

• the most wins in flyweight history;
• the most knockouts in flyweight history;
• the most submission victories in flyweight history ;
• the oldest fighter in history to win a flyweight title.

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Arman Tsarukyan - Mauricio Ruffy: the co-main event of the tournament

The UFC 331 co-main event will be a fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy.  Tsarukyan was initially scheduled to have a rematch with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 331, but Oliveira withdrew from the fight due to the tragic death of his close friend and gym teammate Allan Nascimento, as well as a lack of time for full preparation.

Mauricio Ruffy became Tsarukyan's new opponent. The Brazilian has won his last two fights, defeating striker Fiziev and veteran Chandler. He is ranked seventh among lightweights.

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Patricio Freire - Doo Ho Choi: a featherweight fight

A featherweight bout between experienced Brazilian veteran Patricio Freire and Doo Ho Choi, who has returned to a winning streak, will take place as part of UFC 331. Patricio enters the cage after two losses in his last three fights and is looking to regain his former standing. The South Korean knockout artist, by contrast, has found an excellent rhythm and has earned three straight stoppage victories.

Patricio Freire, nicknamed "Pitbull," has a professional record of 37-9. The Brazilian held the Bellator belt for a long time and managed to compete in numerous title fights against the world's strongest featherweights. In the UFC, he defeated Jeremy Kennedy and Dan Ige, but then lost to Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico.

Freire has fast hands, good low kicks, and dangerous combinations at mid-range. When necessary, he is capable of taking the fight to the ground, where his jiu-jitsu black belt becomes a significant advantage.

Doo Ho Choi, nicknamed "The Korean Superboy," enters the fight with a record of 17-4-1. The South Korean athlete is renowned for his powerful striking and high hand speed, and he has earned 14 victories by knockout. After drawing with Kyle Nelson, Choi returned to the winning path and stopped Bill Algeo, Nate Landwehr, and Daniel Santos in succession. He is dangerous at long and mid-range, making good use of the jab, straight right, hooks, and low kicks.

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Where to watch the tournament

In Ukraine, the official UFC broadcast is provided by Setanta Sports. The event can be watched via the Setanta Sports platform, as well as on services where the company's channels are available, including MEGOGO, Kyivstar TV, and SWEET.TV.

According to Kyiv time, UFC 331 will take place on the night of September 19–20:

• the early preliminary card will begin at 00:30;
• the preliminary card will begin at 02:00;
• the main card will begin at 04:00;
• the main fight, Pantoja – Van 2, is expected at around 06:45.