Back in Los Angeles for the first time in eight years, Crypto.com UFC 331 opened with a series of strong outings that set the stage for Saturday’s main card.
Highlighted by first-round finishes by Joanderson Brito, Casey O’Neill and Ryan Gandra, the preliminary card slate wrapped with a brawl at bantamweight between Marlon Vera and Charles Jourdain.
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In case you missed any of the action, get yourself caught up with our recaps below.
More Coverage: Main Card Results | Scorecards
Former title challenger Marlon "Chito" Vera halted a four-fight skid with a vintage effort against French-Canadian Charles Jourdain to close out the preliminary card slate, warming into a dominant performance.
The duo ran close to even through the first round, with Jourdain landing the higher volume, but Vera connecting with the bigger individual shots. In the second, the volume advantage shifted to Vera and the power edge became more pronounced, as he sat the former featherweight down two times. After keeping on the pressure in the third, Vera floored Jourdain once more, prompting him to wave off the contest himself.
Just a classic “Chito” Vera outing at a time when it was desperately needed for the veteran from Ecuador. Saturday’s finish added to his record total in the division, and delivered his first win in over three years.
Robelis Despaigne and Tai Tuivasa engaged in a heavyweight battle of attrition towards the end of the prelims, with the returning Cuban claiming a split decision win.
The first round was a chaotic standup affair to start, with Despaigne landing big shots that hurt Tuivasa with “Bam Bam” landing a few of his own before spilling the big man to the canvas and keeping him there for the remainder of the frame. The second was largely fought in the clinch and on the canvas, with Tuivasa landing the better shots when standing, only for Despaigne to score well in the third while largely neutralizing the beloved Australian for much of the frame.
The judges were called upon to determine the verdict, and it was Despaigne that came out ahead, securing a win in his return to the Octagon and a second UFC victory overall. For Tuivasa, that’s now eight straight losses for the former contender, equaling the auspicious record held by former interim lightweight champ Tony Ferguson.
Michael Aswell Jr.. turned in the best overall performance of his UFC career on Saturday, out-working JooSang Yoo to register a split decision win.
The 4oz. Fight Club representative set the tone in the opening round, mixing his weapons and his targets throughout while throwing and landing more combinations than his South Korean counterpart. Yoo tried to chip away and find more success, turning up the pressure in the third before surprisingly taking Aswell Jr. down and burning clock from top position, offering very little as the Texan worked to keep him tied up into the final 30 seconds of the fight.
When the scorecards were collected and tallied, it was Aswell Jr. that came out on top, securing his second UFC victory and the biggest win of his career. Still just 25 and getting a first-hand look at what it takes to be a champion working alongside Joshua Van, this was a quality step in the right direction for “The Texas Kid.”
Just when the broadcast team was talking about Ryan Gandra starting slowly and not showing his trademark aggression, the surging Brazilian stepped on the gas and put away Ozzy Diaz in a hurry.
Diaz did well to keep his guard up and come forward in the early going, forcing Gandra to back up and wait to find his openings. But when he opted to go, the recent Contender Series grad continued throwing until Diaz was down and th referee stepped in to stop the fight.
That’s now three starts and three first-round finishes this year for Gandra, who extended his winning streak to double digits with the victory. With each successive appearance, Gandra continues to show that he truly is a growing problem in the 185-pound weight class.
Edmen Shahbazyan returned home to Los Angeles and returned to the win column on Saturday, starting strong and holding on late in a clash with fellow Dana White’s Contender Series grad Brunno Ferreira.
“The Golden Boy” was patient and tactical through the first half of the contest, targeting Ferreira’s lead leg and sticking him with clean punches whenever the Brazilian tried to respond from range. Over the back half of the fight, Ferreira turned up the intensity and started closing the distance with more success, forcing Shahbazyan to become more defensively responsible and shift to grappling down the stretch in order to salt things away.
After a solid effort in defeat against Brendan Allen earlier this year, this was a quality win for Shahbazyan over a dangerous veteran. That’s now 10 UFC wins for the DWCS Season 2 alum, who remains a real steady presence just outside the Top 15 in the middleweight ranks.
Casey O'Neill showed her outstanding grappling skills while registering a second straight first-round stoppage win, tapping out Eduarda Moura to earn her third straight win.
Just seconds after Moura was deep on a D’arce choke, O’Neill escaped, got her butterflies in, and elevated Moura into the air. As the Brazilian soared above her, O’Neill shifted her hips and attacked an armbar, going belly-down as Moura returned to Earth and quickly collecting the submission.
Count this one as an immediate Submission of the Year contender and don’t sleep on O’Neill as a threat in the flyweight division. She’s healthy, focused, and having fun again, and with a second straight first-round finish, a move forward in the rankings should be in the offing.
Joanderson Brito took full advantage of a Giga Chikadze slip to pound out a first-round stoppage win to open Crypto.com UFC 331 on Saturday.
Chikadze opened the fight having success, landing a series of kicks that had Brito backing up. But when the Georgian slipped throwing a head kick, Brito chased him to the ground, landing in his guard and opening up with ground-and-pound that eventually put Chikadze out.
Just a dominant finish from Brito, who has now earned consecutive stoppage wins this year and three straight victories overall. The 31-year-old Dana White’s Contender Series grad is running hot right now and should garner a step up in competition after another stellar outing.
Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 took place live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on September 19, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
