UFC 331 is bringing a major flyweight rematch and a high-stakes lightweight matchup to Los Angeles. The event is set for Sept. 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena, with Joshua Van defending his UFC flyweight title against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the main event.
Arman Tsarukyan will also return in the co-main event, where he faces surging knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round lightweight clash.
UFC 331: Date, Time, Location and Tickets
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Tickets & Presales:
- General On-Sale: Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM PT
- Presales: UFC Fight Club presale started Wednesday, August 5, followed by venue/partner presales on Thursday, August 6
- Ticketing Platform: Official primary tickets and VIP packages are available via AXS.com
UFC 331 Main Event: Van and Pantoja Run It Back
Van and Pantoja will finally get the chance to settle their unfinished business. Their first meeting headlined the co-main event of UFC 323, but the fight ended after just 26 seconds. Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow, bringing an abrupt end to his title reign and handing the belt to Van.
Van has since established himself as the division’s champion. The 17-2 contender defended his title at UFC 328, stopping Tatsuro Taira with a fifth-round knockout. The victory extended Van’s winning streak to seven fights. Three of those wins have come by stoppage.
Pantoja, meanwhile, has spent months recovering from the injury. The Brazilian entered the first fight with eight consecutive victories, including four successful defenses of the flyweight championship. At 30-6, Pantoja now gets another opportunity to reclaim the belt he lost under the most unusual circumstances.
UFC 331 Co-main: Tsarukyan Gets Ruffy Test
Tsarukyan’s return comes with plenty at stake. The No. 2-ranked lightweight last fought in the UFC’s Qatar main event, where he stopped Dan Hooker in the second round. Since then, the Armenian has remained active outside the Octagon through Real American Freestyle.
Tsarukyan went 7-1 under the RAF banner before suffering his first promotional defeat against Colby Covington in the main event of RAF 11.
His UFC 331 matchup also brings him back to Los Angeles, the same city where he was originally scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC 311 before withdrawing the day before the event.
Instead of getting another immediate title opportunity, Tsarukyan now faces one of the division’s most dangerous rising contenders.
Ruffy enters the fight with a 14-2 record and back-to-back stoppage victories inside the UFC. The Brazilian first stopped Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325 before producing an even bigger statement against former title challenger Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250. Ruffy needed only the first round to finish Chandler.
A five-round fight against Tsarukyan could put Ruffy firmly in the lightweight title picture. For Tsarukyan, it is a dangerous assignment with little room for error.
UFC 331 Main card promises fireworks
Beyond the flyweight title fight, the UFC 331 main card is stacked with compelling matchups across multiple divisions. Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson finally makes his long-awaited UFC debut, bringing enormous hype into his heavyweight clash with Sean Sharaf.
Fan favorite Tai Tuivasa also returns in a guaranteed firefight against devastating knockout artist Robelis Despaigne, while middleweights Ryan Gandra and Ozzy Diaz battle for a chance to break into the division’s upper tier.
Rounding out the main card, featherweight veterans Renato Moicano and Brian Ortega meet in a fascinating clash of elite grapplers and seasoned contenders, with both fighters looking to reinsert themselves into the title conversation.
UFC 331 Prelims
The preliminary card is equally intriguing, blending established contenders with rising prospects looking to make a statement. Former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera takes on the always-dangerous Charles Jourdain in a matchup that promises nonstop action, while veteran knockout artist Alonzo Menifield welcomes Polish prospect Iwo Baraniewski to the light heavyweight rankings.
Featherweight fans are also in for a treat as elite kickboxer Giga Chikadze squares off with explosive finisher Joanderson Brito, and former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull continues his UFC journey against the resurgent “Korean Superboy” Dooho Choi.
The early prelims feature another mix of proven names and up-and-coming talent, including Casey O’Neill versus Eduarda Moura, Edmen Shahbazyan against Brunno Ferreira, and featherweights Michael Aswell Jr. and JooSang Yoo, ensuring there are meaningful fights from the opening bout until the main event.
UFC 331 Main card
| Division | Fight |
| Flyweight Championship | 🇲🇲 Joshua Van (C) vs. 🇧🇷 Alexandre Pantoja (#1) |
| Lightweight | 🇦🇲 Arman Tsarukyan (#2) vs. 🇧🇷 Mauricio Ruffy (#7) |
| Heavyweight | 🇺🇸 Gable Steveson vs. 🇺🇸 Sean Sharaf |
| Heavyweight | 🇦🇺 Tai Tuivasa vs. 🇨🇺 Robelis Despaigne |
| Middleweight | 🇧🇷 Ryan Gandra vs. 🇺🇸 Ozzy Diaz |
| Featherweight | 🇧🇷 Renato Moicano vs. 🇺🇸 Brian Ortega |
UFC 331 Prelims
| Division | Fight |
| Bantamweight | 🇪🇨 Marlon Vera (#10) vs. 🇨🇦 Charles Jourdain |
| Light Heavyweight | 🇺🇸 Alonzo Menifield (#14) vs. 🇵🇱 Iwo Baraniewski |
| Featherweight | 🇬🇪 Giga Chikadze vs. 🇧🇷 Joanderson Brito |
| Featherweight | 🇧🇷 Patricio Pitbull (#15) vs. 🇰🇷 Dooho Choi |
UFC 331 early prelims
| Division | Fight |
| Women’s Flyweight | 🇦🇺 Casey O’Neill (#12) vs. 🇧🇷 Eduarda Moura (#13) |
| Middleweight | 🇺🇸 Edmen Shahbazyan vs. 🇧🇷 Brunno Ferreira |
| Featherweight | 🇺🇸 Michael Aswell Jr. vs. 🇰🇷 JooSang Yoo |