Overview
- The rematch is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will stream live on Paramount+ with early prelims at 5:30 p.m. ET, prelims at 7 p.m. ET and the main card at 9 p.m. ET.
- Their first fight ended in about 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered a severe arm injury and Van was awarded the title; Van then defended the belt in May by stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round.
- Build‑up has turned personal, with a press‑conference confrontation that required intervention from UFC president Dana White and repeated trash talk from champion Joshua Van, who said 'I'm his dad.'
- Both fighters have publicly predicted finishes: Van says he will stop Pantoja inside three rounds while Pantoja’s coach, Anderson Franca, says the Brazilian has surprises and cites a potential fourth‑round finish; sportsbooks list Van as a narrow favorite.
- Beyond settling legitimacy in the division, the result will affect immediate title‑shot narratives and matchmaking at 125 pounds and it headlines a stacked UFC 331 card that includes a five‑round lightweight co‑main between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy.