UFC 331 Cage Locks: Van, Pantoja both fighting with point to prove

UFC 331 takes place in Los Angeles this Saturday with a stacked card led by a flyweight title bout.

In the main event, reigning champion Joshua Van defends his belt against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in a highly anticipated rematch after their first meeting ended abruptly due to injury. Van is keen to show the world that his title win was no fluke, while Pantoja looks to reestablish himself as one of the most dominant champions of the modern era.

The co-main event features top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan taking on hard-hitting Brazilian Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round bout with major title implications in the 155-pound division.

Canadian fans will be keeping a close eye on Charles Jourdain, who faces former title challenger Marlon Vera in a key bantamweight matchup. Riding a three-fight winning streak and enjoying new success at 135 pounds, the Quebec native has a chance to crack the division's elite with a statement victory over the always-dangerous ‘Chito’ Vera.

With championship stakes at the top of the card and a big opportunity for Canada’s Jourdain, UFC 331 promises an action-packed night inside the Octagon.

UFC 331 Fight Card

September 19, 2026 • Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles

Main Card

— Joshua Van (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2, UFC Flyweight Championship
— Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy
— Patricio Pitbull vs. Doo Ho Choi
— Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
— Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski

Preliminary Card

— Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
— Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
— Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang
— Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz

Early Prelims

— Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
— Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
— Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito

Aaron's picks

Cage Lock: Baraniewski vs. Menifield ends inside the distance -600
Favourite: Casey O’Neill -205
Underdog: Mauricio Ruffy +285
Dart Throw: Brunno Ferreira wins by submission +600

Baraniewski has never seen the second round in his professional career and I do not expect that his fight with Menifield will go the distance. Both fighters have big power and solid finishing instincts.

O’Neill looked great against Gabriella Fernandes, who I believe is superior to her opponent this weekend.

I believe that O’Neill has an advantage against Moura wherever this fight takes place.

Dan's picks

Cage Lock: Robelis Despaigne -700
Favourite: Iwo Baraniewski -250
Underdog: Alexandre Pantoja +113
Dart Throw: Patricio Pitbull by Decision +475

In his return to the UFC, Robelis Despaigne is looking to remind everyone that he has the speed and raw power to make this a short night. At heavyweight, that combination is especially dangerous, and the matchup with Tai Tuivasa gives him a clear path to victory if he can impose his striking early. We will see a much more polished version of Despaigne in the UFC as he has been working to refine his all-around game during his short time away from the promotion.

Polish powerhouse Iwo Baraniewski has been spectacular since entering the UFC, finishing all three opponents in the opening minutes. His explosiveness and devastating striking make him the clear favourite against Alonzo Menifield. The longer this bout goes, the more interesting this matchup becomes. I just don’t see Baraniewski taking his foot off the gas in this one, and even if it goes to cards, he likely wins on volume and damage.

Pantoja is one year away from absolutely dismantling the flyweight division. His elite-level experience and dangerous submission game make him great value at plus money here. Van has the athleticism and striking to make Pantoja pay if he can’t consistently close distance and get the fight into his preferred grappling exchanges. But only a freak injury was able to prevent him from doing so last time out. I think Pantoja regains the belt on Saturday, but Van will be back.

Like Pantoja, Patricio Pitbull has an enormous amount of championship experience and the technical game to adjust over three rounds. If he fights intelligently rather than chasing a finish, a decision is very much in play. Choi’s power means Pitbull can’t afford many mistakes. I think the Brazilian does enough to win 2 rounds, survive some turbulence and take this one on scorecards.

Cage Lock: The pick deemed to be the wager most likely to win regardless of what the odds look like. The Cage Locks parlay will combine Aaron’s and Dan’s respective best bet for each event.

Favourite: A fighter with winning odds shorter than -300 but not longer than -110. On chalkier cards with a dearth of available moneyline favourites that meet those criteria, prop bets are allowed to be selected.

Underdog: Any fighter with longer odds than their opponent’s.

Dart Throw: Any prop bet or moneyline wager with odds of +400 or longer.

2026 standings after 23 events

Aaron's record (45-47)
Cage Lock: 16-7
Favourite: 15-8
Underdog: 10-13
Dart throw: 4-19

Dan's record (49-42-1)
Cage Lock: 21-2
Favourite: 17-6
Underdog: 7-15-1
Dart throw: 4-19