UFC 331 Preview: Flyweight Title Rematch Headlines Return to Los Angeles

For the first time since UFC 227 in 2018, the UFC will return to downtown Los Angeles on Saturday as a must-see flyweight title rematch headlines UFC 331 from Crypto.com Arena.

Joshua Van (17-2), the 24-year-old breakout star, will make the second defense of his 125-pound title when he meets former champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-6). The two flyweights first squared off last December at UFC 323 in Las Vegas where an elbow injury just 26 seconds in caused Pantoja to lose his title via first-round TKO.

In the co-feature, top lightweights Arman Tsarukyan (23-3) and Mauricio Ruffy (14-2) will meet for an opportunity to take one giant step closer to a title shot with an impressive performance.

As we draw closer to this weekend's event, let's take a closer look at the biggest storylines affecting UFC 331.

1. A lot has changed in 10 months for Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja

When they first met last December, the pound-for-pound ranked Pantoja was nearly a 3-to-1 betting favorite to make his fifth flyweight title defense against the upstart Van. But Pantjoa's injury and Van's strong performance in May, when he outdueled Tatsuro Taira via fifth-round TKO in a thrilling battle for his first title defense, combined to now put the pressure firmly on the shoulders of the 36-year-old Pantoja. Van is a small betting favorite for the rematch and a bit of bad blood between them, which started at the introductory press conference in August to announce the fight, has raised the intensity considerably entering the rematch. A victory for Van would firmly remove any lingering talk that he's a paper champion and didn't actually beat Pantoja. While the battle-tested veteran, who believes he doesn't get the respect he deserves for taking over the division in recent years, has the opportunity to further cement his greatness by reclaiming the title at an advanced age.

2. Is Mauricio Ruffy the final hurdle for Arman Tsarukyan's lightweight title hopes?

At 29, with a 10-2 record inside the Octagon since his 2019 debut, Tsarukyan is clearly one of the most talented and popular UFC fighters to never compete for a championship. But that certainly isn't the UFC's fault, per se. Tsarukyan infamously pulled out of a UFC 311 title shot, in a rematch against Islam Makhachev, in January 2025 due to a back injury suffered in training just one day before the fight. The incident, combined with Tsarukyan's subsequent reckless behavior outside of the Octagon, led him directly into UFC CEO and president Dana White's doghouse. To Tsarukyan's credit, he used the time away to build himself into a star on social media and most assumed the matchup against Ruffy, who replaced ceremonial BMF titleholder and former lightweight king Charles Oliveira just over one month out, would be a No. 1 contender's fight to create the next title challenger. Two weeks ago, White publicly put the brakes on the idea that the winner is guaranteed a title shot and instead said he will have to wait and see. But Tsarukyan could certainly sway the boss with a dominant win against a dangerous foe.

3. Forget the stakes, Patricio Pitbull and Doo-ho Choi will be featherweight fireworks

Buckle up, folks! This one should be a wild one as two of the most exciting 145-pound fighters over the past decade find themselves paired off against one another. The 39-year-old Pitbull, a former two-division Bellator MMA champion, is just 1-2 inside the Octagon since coming over in 2025 and is certainly in the twilight of his well-respected pro career that is now in its 22nd year. But if you are familiar with the Brazilian legend's work, you know that he goes for the finish for just about every second of the fight. On the flipside, the 35-year-old Choi, a native of South Korea, is going through a bit of a renaissance following a three-fight win streak, all via TKO. "The Korean Superboy" already has a UFC fight that was inducted into the Hall of Fame from his 2016 loss to Cub Swanson and his all-action, all-the-time style has long made him a fan favorite. Even with Pitbull's respected ground game and his history of guillotine chokes, this should be a fight decided on the feet and could ultimately steal the show.

4. With Jon Jones in his corner, Gable Steveson continues his heavyweight climb

He may look like the heavyweight of the future but the 26-year-old Steveson, a former 5-time NCAA All-American at Minnesota and a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, will need to continue to round out his skillset each step up the ladder as he enters his second UFC bout. With finishes in all four pro fights, Steveson also had an impressive UFC debut in July when he knocked out Elisha Ellison in under three minutes. The interesting part was that Steveson didn't use his wrestling to do so, however, and he got hit more than most expected before getting the finish. On Saturday, he'll take on a 4-2 Sean Sharaf, who has lost via 2nd-round TKO in both of his UFC fights dating back to 2024. Steveson will need to take a firm step forward in advancing his game in order for the hype to continue that this generational athlete, who came to MMA after failed attempts at both WWE and the NFL, will be ready sooner than later to take over the division with the sport's GOAT -- the complicated "Bones" -- serving as his mentor and coach.

5. The king of extra chances, Tai Tuivasa is likely down to his last one