Alexandre Pantoja, the fighter who racked up four title defenses, is walking into his UFC 331 rematch against Joshua Van as a (+113) underdog. This isn’t just another title fight on Saturday night; this is redemption after that brutal 26-second TKO loss where an arm injury stopped him cold at UFC 323. That moment ended Pantoja’s reign abruptly, and now he fights with the odds stacked against him.
The Rematch Everyone’s Been Waiting For
Joshua Van, our current flyweight kingpin with a 17-2 record, snagged that title from Pantoja and then defended it against Tatsuro Taira via TKO in the fifth round back in May. But Pantoja, 30-6, didn’t just stumble into that title shot. He originally won the belt in July 2023 with a split-decision over Brandon Moreno, then went on a tear with four successful defenses: submission wins over Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France, plus a decision over Brandon Royval. His title run was solid before that December injury. Was the first fight a fluke, or is Van simply that good? These early odds from BetOnline put the pressure squarely on Pantoja to prove the naysayers wrong. The flyweight division is watching.
Lightweight Chaos and Some Seriously Wild Odds
The co-main event at UFC 331 is fire. We’ve got two highly ranked lightweights, Arman Tsarukyan and Maurício Ruffy, squaring off in a five-round battle that could determine the next challenger for 155-pound champ Justin Gaethje. Tsarukyan, 23-3, was almost fighting Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 311 before being forced out. He’s since submission-ed Dan Hooker in November. Ruffy, 14-2, is coming off a June TKO victory over Michael Chandler. This fight is gonna be a war, and Tsarukyan is a heavy -350 favorite.
And hold up, some of these other odds are wild! Gable Steveson is practically a guaranteed winner at -2000 against Sean Sharaf (+1062). Then there’s Tai Tuivasa as a massive underdog at +512 facing Robelis Despaigne (-700). Is there value in those insane longshots? It makes picking winners a real puzzle.
This Saturday, September 19, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is going to be electric. Can Pantoja rewrite his legacy and snatch back the title that slipped away in just 26 seconds? Will Tsarukyan solidify his claim for a long-awaited shot at Justin Gaethje? You know we’ll be glued to every single second, absorbing every punch. This is what fight week is all about, pure combat, fam. Don’t miss it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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