Joshua Van will look to prove his championship credentials as he stands across from Alexandre Pantoja once more this weekend.
The pair clash in the UFC 331 Main Event nine months on from Pantoja's fight ending arm injury 26 seconds into their first encounter.
The event takes place on Saturday 19 September at the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California.
The fights begin at 5PM ET with the Early Preliminary Card, followed by the Preliminary Card at 7PM ET and the Main Card at 9PM ET.
Our article gives you our two best bets for the main event, as well as the current moneyline odds for UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2.
UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2: betting picks and predictions
Over 2.5 rounds (-160)
Both Van and Pantoja have a point to prove here after their original contest was cut short in the strangest of circumstances.
Pantoja was unable to continue after dislocating his arm when landing awkwardly in the first grappling exchange less than 30 seconds into the contest, crowning Van the new champion via TKO.
In truth the contest never got going with the two men having traded words since, making this second fight even more intriguing.
Van has already defended his title, defeating Tatsuro Taira via 5th round TKO in May.
The Myanmar fighter took over the fight down the stretch, proving his high pace can last over the championship distance.
The 24-year-old is 10-1 in the UFC and is full of confidence riding a seven-fight win streak, with wins over Brandon Royval (UD), Bruno Silva (R3, TKO) and Rei Tsuruya (UD).
Pantoja had made four successful defences of the Flyweight strap following his 2023 split decision win over Brandon Moreno.
As champion the Brazilian has an impressive CV, defeating Brandon Royval (UD), Steve Erceg (UD), Kai Asakura (R2, Sub) and Kai Kara-France (R3, Sub).
A submission specialist, Pantoja has seen six of his 14 UFC wins come via submission, all via his trademark rear naked choke.
In terms of the styles, Van brings high volume striking; his 8.43 significant strikes per minute is almost double Pantoja's 4.38.
Meanwhile, Pantoja's pressure grappling sees him average 2.79 takedowns per 15 minutes, compared to 0.82 for Van.
This is likely to be played out at a frantic pace and, while both men do have form in seeing the final bell, both are also intent on rubberstamping this one, with any finish likely to come as we move into the championship rounds.
Joshua Van to win (-130)
At 36 years old, Pantoja looks to become only the third UFC fighter to regain the Flyweight title after Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo.
To do so, he will need to make this ugly and look to disrupt Van's impressive striking rhythm by adding his own forward pressure to back him up against the fence, clinch work and ultimately securing takedowns.
Van's takedown defense stands at 76%, although Pantoja is likely the best he's faced in this regard.
However, with the 12-year age gap here Van's athleticism is likely to narrow the gap.
Van will be buoyed by winning in the championship rounds against Taira and has shown he has the ability to maintain his high pace.
If the 24-year-old can maintain his constant movement and frustrate Pantoja by making him shoot from too far away, Van could make this a tough night for the veteran, landing high volume combinations, as well as working the body.
Pantoja will need to get his hands on Van to stop him winning more minutes of this fight, with the new champion the pick to be too fast and fresh in this rematch.
UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 odds
Joshua Van | Alexandre Pantoja | |
Moneyline | -130 | +110 |
By Decision or Technical Decision | +350 | +400 |
By KO, TKO or DQ | +180 | +1000 |
By Submission | +2000 | +280 |
Total Rounds | Over | Under |
1.5 | -320 | +235 |
2.5 | -160 | +125 |
3.5 | -110 | -120 |
4.5 | +130 | -165 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
