UFC 331 preview and picks: Pantoja sees opportunity in disaster

UFC 331 preview and picks: Pantoja sees opportunity in disaster. Skip to main content Skip to navigation UFC 331 preview and picks: Pantoja sees opportunity in disaster17hBrett OkamotoLSU, Iowa State and 11 more key teams with eligibility questionsLSU Tigers17hJeff Borzello and Myron MedcalfLights, camera, Brunson: Knicks star to appear on 'Law & Order: SVU' episodeNew York Knicks9hAssociated Press'We ain't gonna play it safe': Anthony Edwards calls out Sixers' James, Brown and more in Adidas adMinnesota Timberwolves11hKalan HooksCollege football recruiting: The most impactful player for each top-40 recruiting classTexas A&M Aggies19hCraig Haubert and Billy TuckerI raced against Max Verstappen. . . for 10 seconds: Inside the chaos of Max vs 10014hNate SaundersTransfer rumors, news: Liverpool targeting former Bayern Munich midfielder11hESPNMen's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Where does Opetaia land after another KO win?

What happened

18hFantasy basketball: 10 tips to help you win your league20hAndre SnellingsFantasy women's hoops: Finish the job and win the fantasy finals with these picks17hESPN FantasyFantasy hockey goalie guide: From the top-tier netminders to the mid-round gambles2dVictoria MatiashplayJoshua Van grabs victory after Alexandre Pantoja breaks arm (0:32)Brett OkamotoSep 17, 2026, 09:00 AM ETCloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFor two and a half years, Alexandre Pantoja ruled the UFC's flyweight division at a level unseen since the historic era of Demetrious Johnson nearly 10 years ago.

And yet, the past nine months since his last fight could prove to be the most compelling of Pantoja's career. The 36-year-old Pantoja (30-6) will challenge Joshua Van (17-2) for the 125-pound championship at UFC 331 inside Crypto. com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday. It will be his first appearance since UFC 323 in December, when he lost the belt to Van via TKO after Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow 26 seconds into the fight. "As an athlete, yes, I have a TKO loss on my record," Pantoja told ESPN.

"Pantoja won the title against Brandon Moreno in 2023 and defended the belt four times before meeting Van.

The wider picture

There are those who say Van needs to defeat Pantoja again to legitimize his championship, but Van's first title defense against Tatsuro Taira in May made discrediting him harder. The unfinished business, Pantoja's return and Van's undeniable star power mean Saturday's flyweight title fight is shaping up to be the most anticipated 125-pound title fight since Henry Cejudo ended Johnson's nearly five-year title reign in 2018 then defended the flyweight belt against then-bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in 2019.

For Pantoja specifically, his worst stroke of bad luck could turn into the greatest night of his career. "Saturday night is going to be my best night, man," Pantoja said. Now I have an opportunity to show everyone what I did in the last 10 months. "More storylines to watchHistory isn't in Pantoja's favorIf Alexandre Pantoja is searching for role models to inspire this weekend's quest to reclaim the championship he lost suddenly and painfully last December, he would be wise to look beyond recent history.

As soon as he was healed, Hill was granted an opportunity to reclaim his title and lost. For a success story, Pantoja must look deeper into UFC championship history to the brutal health issues overcome by Dominick Cruz.

What has been reported

Coaches' questions and predictions"Can Pantoja bank enough rounds on the ground, while staying responsible on the feet? If Pantoja stands with Van, he's going to get hurt. Pantoja is good at applying pressure and landing the 1-2 punch (lead left jab, right cross), but he cannot play that game with Van, because of Van's counterboxing. Van can land four-to-six shots at a time in close distance, and that's something Pantoja really has to watch for.

After watching Van's fight with Taira, though, knowing how good Taira is on the ground, it's a little unfair to say Van can't weather the storm on the ground with Pantoja. — Sayif Saud, Fortis MMAPrediction: Too close to call"How big of a setback is Pantoja's injury at age 36? If Pantoja comes back and is anywhere close to where he was when he was holding the belt, I think he gets it back. Van is going to go to work on fixing that hole in his game, but Pantoja is so good.

The biggest question is how bad of a setback is Pantoja's injury, at this stage of his career?

What happens next

But if he's the same Pantoja, he gets the win, potentially by submission. — John Wood, Syndicate MMAPrediction: Pantoja by decision or submission"Can Ruffy stop takedowns and keep space? Top storylines and coaches' analysis for UFC 331 in Los Angeles. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre.

He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time. The nature of the loss has led to a feeling of unfinished business between the two fighters going into Saturday's main event. He was among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world at the time.