Fight By Fight Preview | Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2

Nine months after their initial meeting at UFC 323 ended with an injury stoppage, flyweight titleholder Joshua Van and former champion Alexandre Pantoja meet inside the Octagon for a second time, but under very different circumstances.

Two years ago, Van rolled into UFC 306 off a knockout loss to Charles Johnson and faced off with durable Mexican battler Edgar Chairez at Sphere. He won that fight and four more to earn a championship opportunity against Pantoja, claiming the belt when the Brazilian suffered an elbow injury 26 seconds into the contest, and then successfully defending the title earlier this year at UFC 328 with a fifth-round stoppage win over Tatsuro Taira.

READ: Alexandre Pantoja Enjoying The Moment Differently This Time | Joshua Van Ready to Keep Making History

Prior to his injury in December, Pantoja looked like a dominant force in the division, having earned four straight successful title defenses, including consecutive submission wins over Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France to extend his overall winning streak to eight. The 36-year-old now looks to become the third person to hold the flyweight title twice and prove that, if not for the injury, the belt would have never left his possession.

There is a new feel to this pairing this time around. Last year, Van was on a Cinderella run towards the top of the division. This time, however, Van is buoyed by the confidence of his win over Taira in Newark, and Pantoja has as much to prove as the young champion, setting the stage for an epic rematch that will either settle the rivalry or potentially set the stage for a trilogy bout in the future.

Additional Main Card Matchups

Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy

Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy square off in a rare non-title 5-round battle in the lightweight division in the co-main event of the evening, with many anticipating that whoever wins will secure themselves a future championship opportunity.

WATCH: Co-Main Event Feature | Tsarukyan vs Ruffy

Tsarukyan returns to the Octagon for the first time since throttling Dan Hooker in Qatar last November, which extended his winning streak to five and his record to 10-2 inside the Octagon overall. The talented Armenian has kept busy and further elevated his profile by grappling every month since that win over Hooker and will look to cement his standing as one of the top contenders in the division by turning back Ruffy in Los Angeles.

The dynamic Brazilian has earned a pair of dominant finishes this year since shifting his preparations to Australia and working alongside featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. In February, he stopped Rafael Fiziev in the second round, and then in June, he went to The White House and battered an overmatched Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250.

A clash of styles will provide answers about the work Ruffy has done to shore up his takedown defense, so this one should be thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. While an immediate title shot may not be in the offing for the winner, a victory on either side is a major feather in the winner’s cap and puts them on the short list of possible challengers.

Patricio Pitbull vs Dooho Choi

Battled-tested veteran featherweights meet here as Patricio Pitbull looks to stop Dooho Choi’s current hot streak.

How To Watch And Stream Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2

The 39-year-old former Bellator superstar has been solid through his first three UFC appearances, going the distance in matchups with Yair Rodriguez, Dan Ige, and Aaron Pico, with just a lone win over Ige. Expectations may have been too high for Pitbull upon arrival, but he remains a steady hand and ultra-experienced presence on the edge of the rankings in the 145-pound weight class.

All Baraniewski has done since earning a contract last season on Dana White’s Contender Series is wreck dudes in less than 90 seconds, having earned three straight first-round stoppage wins over Ibo Aslan, Austen Lane, and Junior Tafa in a combined 3:22 of Octagon time. The 27-year-old is now 9-0 overall and has still yet to see the fourth minute of a fight, let alone the second round.

Can Menifield be the one to push Baraniewski into unfamiliar territory, or will the latest fighter to brandish the “legendary Polish power” post another rapid win on Saturday?

Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf

The main card opens with the return of Gable Steveson, the decorated wrestler and undefeated prospect, who takes on Santa Ana resident and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Sean Sharaf.

Steveson showed his upside in his debut win over Elisha Ellison this summer, successfully dispatching him in the first round but eating a few shots in the process. After starting his professional career with four straight first-round finishes, Sharaf has struggled to find success in the Octagon, following up his short-notice debut loss to Junior Tafa with a second-round defeat at the hands of Steven Asplund. But the past is the past and now Sharaf has a massive opportunity to shake things up in front of him, and when combined with fighting at home, 

Preliminary Card Pairings

Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain

Marlon “Chito” Vera looks to defend his place in the bantamweight rankings as he steps in against hard-charging French-Canadian Charles Jourdain.

READ: A New Chapter For 'Chito' Vera | Charles Jourdain: The Professional

Vera touches down in L.A. looking to halt a 4-fight slide as his last win came three years ago opposite Pedro Munhoz. Jourdain has gone 3-0 since dropping down from featherweight, following up his submission wins over Victor Henry and Davey Grant with a unanimous decision victory over Kyler Phillips in Winnipeg earlier this year.

Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne

Heavyweight hitters meet in this preliminary card matchup as Tai Tuivasa welcomes Robelis Despaigne back to the UFC Octagon.

WATCH: Robelis Despaigne: 'I Have Much More Confidence In Myself'

Tuivasa arrives to this weekend’s event looking to halt an extended losing streak and show he still has something left in the tank. Despaigne won his one and only MMA appearance since being released in the fall of ’24 when he knocked out Junior Dos Santos earlier this year, but he also kept himself busy under the Karate Combat banner, earning seven wins in as many starts and claimed the promotion’s heavyweight title.

Michael Aswell Jr. vs JooSang Yoo

“Problema” has lived up to his nickname with brutal knockouts of Jose Daniel Medina and Zach Reese, dismissing them both in less than two minutes combined to push his winning streak to nine. Diaz was a standout on the regional circuit but has struggled when attached to UFC caliber competition, going 1-2 inside the Octagon after falling to Joe Pyfer on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series four years ago.

Edmen Shahbazyan vs Brunno Ferreira

Edmen Shahbazyan looks to restart a winning streak with a return home to Los Angeles as he faces off with fellow DWCS grad Brunno Ferreira on Saturday.

“The Golden Boy” may have seen his run of success snapped last time out against Brendan Allen, but he gave a good account of himself against the middleweight contender and earned Fight of the Night honors in the process. It’s “kill or be killed” with Ferreira, who has gone the distance twice in 19 starts and touches down here having suffered consecutive setbacks against Gregory Rodrigues and Ikram Aliskerov.

Casey O’Neill vs Eduarda Moura