Overview
- All 24 fighters on the UFC 331 card, including champion Joshua Van and former champion Alexandre Pantoja, made the required weights at Friday’s official weigh‑ins in Los Angeles.
- Pantoja returned from the arm injury that ended their first fight and warned at the weigh‑in show that Van “is going to suffer,” intensifying the personal stakes for the rematch.
- Sportsbooks listed Van as the slight favorite entering the bout with DraftKings odds around -130 to -140 and Pantoja near +110, shaping public expectations and betting activity.
- The co‑main event between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy is being promoted as a five‑round lightweight title eliminator that could put the winner in line for a 2027 title shot.
- Pantoja’s December injury forced a long layoff but he says he is fully recovered, veteran voices like Joseph Benavidez argue the time off could benefit him, and the result will affect flyweight title lineage and the next challenger order.