UFC 331 will be headlined by a flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja, scheduled for September 19 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, officials announced Thursday.

Van captured the title in their first bout with a first-round TKO in December, a fight marred by an early injury to defending champion Pantoja, who dislocated his elbow and was unable to continue.

Van, just 24, became one of the youngest champions in promotion history, ending Pantoja's eight-fight win streak, including four title defenses. Pantoja has been rehabbing since the loss.

Van defended his title at UFC 328 by knocking out Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round, extending his win streak to seven fights.

The co-main event will feature lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. Tsarukyan last fought in the Octagon in November 2022, beating Dan Hooker via submission. He aims to work his way back to a title shot against Islam Makhachev, but faces a dangerous rising star in Ruffy, who recently knocked out Michael Chandler.

UFC 331 takes place Saturday, September 19, 2026. Early prelims begin at 5pm ET, prelims at 7pm ET, and the main card at 9pm ET. The event will be broadcast on Paramount+ in the US, TNT Sports in the UK, Foxtel/Kayo in Australia, Sportsnet+ in Canada, and UFC Fight Pass worldwide.

According to DraftKings, Pantoja opens as a slight -120 favorite, with Van listed as a +100 underdog.

Source: www.aljazeera.com