The UFC Octagon is set to return to Los Angeles for the first time since January 2025, hosting UFC 331 at the Crypto.com Arena this Saturday. Fans can watch the entire event live on Paramount+.
The main event features a highly awaited flyweight title rematch between Alexandre Pantoja (30-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) and reigning champion Joshua Van (16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC). Pantoja, who lost his title in a swift 26-second injury TKO at UFC 323 last December, aims to regain the championship. Meanwhile, Van is determined to demonstrate that his initial victory was no accident.
The fight card also includes several other significant matchups that carry major history and stakes, both positive and negative. Below are some key statistics and facts about the fighters competing at UFC 331, as compiled by MMA Junkie.
Joshua Van
Van ranks among six undisputed UFC flyweight champs, is the only champion from Myanmar, and the first champion born in the 2000s. At age 24, he became the second-youngest UFC champion behind Jon Jones. His win over Pantoja at UFC 323 was only the third UFC title fight to end via injury stoppage (excluding eye injuries). Van currently holds the longest active seven-fight winning streak at flyweight, boasts four knockout wins (tied for third-most in flyweight history), and lands 8.43 significant strikes per minute—the highest in flyweight history. Notably, he and Brandon Royval combined for a record 419 significant strikes during UFC 317, marking the most in a three-round UFC fight.
Alexandre Pantoja
Pantoja is also among six undisputed UFC flyweight champions and was one of five fighters to win a title via split decision, a feat shared with Sean Strickland, Robbie Lawler, Henry Cejudo, and Carla Esparza. He is unique in UFC history for losing a title due to injury stoppage. Pantoja ranks second in divisional history with five UFC flyweight championship wins and holds the record for most UFC flyweight fight victories (14). His eight-fight winning streak at flyweight, ended at UFC 323, stands as the second longest behind Demetrious Johnson’s thirteen. Pantoja also leads the division in stoppage wins (eight) and submission victories (six). Additionally, he has earned six fight-night bonuses at flyweight, tied for fourth-most in the division.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has a five-fight lightweight UFC winning streak, the second-longest active streak in the division, and is 10-1 in his last 11 UFC fights. Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has secured 13 of 14 wins by stoppage, with nine first-round finishes. He is one of the 16 UFC fighters to achieve a knockout via spinning wheel kick.
Patricio Freire vs. Dooho Choi
Freire (37-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) arrives after a legendary Bellator career, where he was a multi-time, two-division champion and holds records for most fights, wins, stoppage victories, and title bouts in Bellator history. Choi (17-4-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) has 14 of 16 wins by stoppage, with 13 knockouts. His six UFC featherweight knockouts rank third-most in division history, and his 18-second knockout debut is the second-fastest in the division.
Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
Moicano (21-7-1 MMA, 13-7 UFC) has gone 8-3 since moving up to lightweight and is tied for third in UFC history with seven submission wins by rear-naked choke. Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) recently moved up to lightweight from featherweight, recording seven stoppage wins and four submissions in the latter division, ranking among the top in those statistics. He is unique as the only UFC fighter to secure four consecutive third-round stoppages.
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Menifield (18-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) achieved one of just eight Von Flue submissions in UFC history at UFC 260. Baraniewski (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has finished all his fights by first-round stoppage.
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Steveson (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is among five Olympic gold medalists to compete in UFC, having won freestyle wrestling gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
Vera (22-11-1 MMA, 16-10 UFC) is competing in his 24th UFC bantamweight bout, the most in the division. Despite a current four-fight losing streak—the longest of his career—he holds the most total fight time in UFC bantamweight history and is tied for second-most wins and ranked first in stoppage victories in the division. Vera has several notable striking records, including ties for most knockdowns and fighting performances featuring multiple knockdowns. Jourdain (18-8-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) is 3-0 since moving to bantamweight, earning a post-fight bonus in each bout.
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
Tuivasa (14-10 MMA, 8-10 UFC) is enduring a career-long seven-fight losing streak, tied for the second-longest in UFC history behind Tony Ferguson. Formerly starting his career 10-0, he is noted for being one of two heavyweights to score knockouts via flying knee and for earning knockouts with both knee and elbow strikes. Despaigne (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to the UFC after a brief stint away.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
Ferreira (15-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is one of a select ten UFC fighters to achieve a knockout from a spinning back elbow.
Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
O’Neill (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) shares third place for most stoppage wins in UFC women’s flyweight history and ranks second for knockouts in the division. She also records the third-highest significant strikes landed per minute in women’s flyweight.
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
Chikadze (15-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) faces his longest losing streak of three fights. Brito (19-5-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has the division’s second-best takedown success rate at 66.7%.
This analysis was aided by UFC research analyst and live stats producer Michael Carroll.
Fan Take: UFC 331 is a pivotal event that will not only settle an intense flyweight rivalry but also showcase a mix of rising stars and veterans fighting to redefine their legacies. For fight fans, it presents an exciting blend of skill, history-making moments, and potential shifts in divisional dominance that could shape the sport’s future.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
