A rematch is on tap for Cali.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is headed back to Crypto.com Arena — a.k.a. Staples Center — in Los Angeles, California, for UFC 331 on Sat., Sept. 19, 2026, and the promotion is bringing a pretty loaded card with it.
In the main event, UFC Flyweight champion Joshua Van runs it back with longtime champion Alexandre Pantoja after their first encounter ended in an awful injury.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Joshua Van of Myanmar trades punches with Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil in the UFC flyweight championship fight during the UFC 323 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Pantoja and Van collided in the co-main event of UFC 323, but the fight lasted only 26 seconds after then-champion Pantoja dislocated his elbow and Van became champion in one of the most unfortunate title changes in recent memory.
Since then, Van (17-2) has defended the Flyweight title once, doing so at UFC 328 when he knocked out Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round (watch highlights). Van is riding a seven-fight win streak, with three of those wins coming by finish and two of those fights being considered “Fight of the Year” contenders.
Meanwhile, Pantoja (30-6) has obviously been rehabbing and recovering from the injury that cost him his title. Prior to losing the belt in devastating fashion, the Brazilian had rattled off eight straight wins, which included winning the Flyweight championship and defending it four times.
Now, Pantoja gets the chance to win back the belt he never really lost in a fight.
DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 21: Arman Tsarukyan of Georgia poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-in at ABHA Arena on November 21, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Tsarukyan (23-3) last competed inside the Octagon in UFC Qatar’s main event, demolishing Dan Hooker in two rounds (watch highlights).
So, naturally, after all of that, Tsarukyan gets a dangerous, surging knockout artist instead of a title fight.
Ruffy (14-2) was last in action at UFC Freedom 250, where he absolutely demolished former UFC title challenger Michael Chandler, knocking him out in the first round. Before that, Ruffy stopped Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325 four months prior (watch highlights).
UFC 331 is shaping up to be one of the most interesting cards of the fall, with Van and Pantoja settling unfinished business at the top, and Tsarukyan trying to avoid disaster against one of the scariest rising Lightweights in the sport.
Welcome back to Los Angeles.
For more information on UFC 331, click here.