Breaking News - Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 Presented by Total Wireless Set to Air on Paramount+ This Saturday, September 19 | TheFutonCritic.com

CRYPTO.COM UFC(R) 331: VAN vs. PANTOJA 2 PRESENTED BY TOTAL WIRELESS SET TO AIR ON PARAMOUNT+ THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

FEATURED BOUTS TAKING PLACE AT LOS ANGELES' CRYPTO.COM ARENA INCLUDE: (C) JOSHUA VAN vs. (#1) ALEXANDRE PANTOJA 2 AND (#2) ARMAN TSARUKYAN vs. (#7) MAURICIO RUFFY

Los Angeles (Sept. 16, 2026) - UFC(R) returns to Los Angeles this Saturday, September 19, with CRYPTO.COM UFC(R) 331: VAN vs. PANTOJA 2 PRESENTED BY TOTAL WIRELESS. The event, which takes place at Crypto.com Arena, is headlined by one of the most anticipated UFC flyweight championship bouts of all time, as current titleholder Joshua Van aims to leave no doubt when he once again locks horns with former champion Alexandre Pantoja. In the co-main event, UFC lightweight title implications are on the line as No. 2 ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan takes on No. 7 ranked Mauricio Ruffy.

Early Prelims: 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT - on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass

Prelims: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT - on Paramount+

Main Card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT - on Paramount+

UFC flyweight king Van (17-2, fighting out of Houston, Texas) plans to cement himself as the best 125-pounder on the planet with another highlight-reel performance. One of the fastest rising stars on the UFC roster, Van has captured the hearts of fans with bonus-earning victories over Tatsuro Taira and Brandon Royval. He now looks to prove his first win over Pantoja was no fluke and continue his impressive reign.

Pantoja (30-6, fighting out of Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) steps back into the Octagon with his sights set on reclaiming the crown he believes he never truly lost. The owner of UFC flyweight records for most wins (14), finishes (8) and submissions (6), Pantoja forged his legacy with dominant victories over Kai Kara-France, Kai Asakura and Brandon Royval. He is now determined to show that he is the best to ever do it by defeating Van in convincing fashion.

Tsarukyan (23-3, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) returns to action gunning to secure a shot at the lightweight title. A well-rounded competitor riding an impressive five-fight win streak, he holds notable stoppage victories over Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush and Joel Alvarez. Tsarukyan plans to steal the show by taking out Ruffy and certifying his position at the top of the 155-pound ranks.

Exciting striker Ruffy (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) makes a quick return with the intent to deliver another jaw-dropping moment. With 13 of his 14 wins coming by way of knockout, Ruffy has established himself as a can't-miss competitor by taking out Michael Chandler, Rafael Fiziev and King Green. He now aims to secure the biggest victory of his career and vault into the lightweight championship conversation.

Additional bouts on the card include:

· No. 15 ranked featherweight contender Patricio Pitbull (37-9, fighting out of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) battles Dooho Choi (17-4-1, fighting out of Daegu, South Korea)

· No. 14 ranked light heavyweight contender Alonzo Menifield (18-6-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) squares off with undefeated Iwo Baraniewski (9-0, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland)

· Gable Steveson (4-0, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) aims to continue his momentum when he faces Sean Sharaf (4-2, fighting out of Santa Ana, Calif.) at heavyweight

· No. 10 ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Vera (23-12-1, fighting out of Chone, Manabi, Ecuador) meets Charles Jourdain (18-8-1, fighting out of Beloeil, Quebec, Canada) in a bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks

· Tai Tuivasa (15-10, fighting out of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia) looks to spoil the UFC return of Robelis Despaigne (6-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba)

· An intriguing middleweight contest pits Edmen Shahbazyan (16-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) against Brunno Ferreira (15-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil)

· Giga Chikadze (15-6, fighting out of Tbilisi, Georgia) returns to the Octagon to face Joanderson Brito (19-5-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) in an all-action featherweight bout

· No. 12 ranked flyweight contender Casey O'Neill (11-2, fighting out of Gold Coast, Australia) takes on No. 13 Eduarda Moura (12-2, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil)

· Dana White's Contender Series signee Ryan Gandra (10-1, fighting out of Betim, Brazil) takes on Ozzy Diaz (10-4, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) at middleweight

· Michael Aswell Jr. (11-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) and JooSang Yoo (9-1, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) face off at featherweight

For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change.

UFC(R) is the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, with more than 700 million fans and approximately 363 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while distributing programming to an estimated 1 billion broadcast and digital households across 210 countries and territories. UFC's athlete roster features the world's best MMA athletes, representing more than 75 countries. The organization's digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS(R), one of the world's leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.

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