UFC 331 brings a flyweight championship rematch to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 19. Joshua Van, listed at 17-2-0, is set to defend the UFC Flyweight Championship against Alexandre Pantoja, who enters with a 30-6-0 record. The main event is scheduled for five rounds.
The event’s centerpiece has a notably direct recent history. Van beat Pantoja in 26 seconds at UFC 323 in late 2025 to claim the flyweight belt. Now, with Van nearing a year as champion, Pantoja gets the opportunity to reclaim the title. Van is identified as the betting favorite, but the prior result also creates an obvious tension around the rematch: a 26-second fight settles very little about how a longer championship contest might unfold.
For viewers, the key practical detail is that UFC 331 is listed as a Paramount+ event rather than a separate pay-per-view purchase. The first fights are due to start at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, prelims are scheduled for 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, and the main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
UFC 331 at a glance
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
- Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
- Early prelims: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT
- Prelims: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
- Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
- Streaming home: Paramount+
- Main event: Joshua Van (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja, flyweight title fight
How to watch UFC 331
UFC 331 is available to livestream on Paramount+. It is not listed as a PPV, meaning eligible Paramount+ subscribers can watch without a distinct event charge on top of their plan.
The Paramount+ Essential plan is listed from $8.99 per month. The available information says that access covers UFC programming including numbered events and fight nights, and that UFC 331 does not carry an additional charge for either Paramount+ plan.
That distinction matters. A pay-per-view, usually shortened to PPV, is a one-off purchase for a particular broadcast. A subscription-streaming event is instead included within an active membership. For someone who already has Paramount+, UFC 331 should therefore be a straightforward matter of opening the service when the broadcast begins, rather than making a new fight-night transaction.
People comparing viewing setups should still make sure the relevant app is supported on the device they plan to use, confirm that their subscription is active, and allow time for sign-in or software updates before the early prelims. If the TV interface is proving awkward, a separate streaming device can sometimes simplify app access and account switching; a smart TV is not always the whole streaming setup.
Subscription and bundle routes listed for the event
New Paramount+ subscriptions are listed from $8.99 monthly for the Essential tier. The information also points to a Walmart+ promotional route: a 30-day Walmart+ trial for $1 includes Paramount+ among the membership perks. As with any membership trial or introductory offer, viewers should read the current terms, eligibility requirements and renewal details before signing up.
Related coverage includes UFC 331: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja Start Time, Full Card and Streaming Details.
DirecTV is another listed option through its Premier package, which includes Paramount+. The package is listed at $139.99 for its first month and $169.99 per month afterward, with a five-day free trial mentioned. That is a substantially broader and more expensive television package than subscribing solely to Paramount+, so it makes the most sense only for viewers who value its larger channel lineup in addition to UFC 331.
Neither option changes the central point: the event itself is not presented as a separate PPV bill. The choice is about which eligible service arrangement is the best fit for a viewer’s existing subscriptions and broader TV needs.
Why Van vs. Pantoja is the card’s central question
The title fight is a rematch, but not one built on an extended, tightly contested first meeting. Van’s victory in 26 seconds was decisive and extremely quick. A short first bout can leave fans and analysts with fewer answers than a five-round fight, especially where a challenger has had time to regroup and seek another title opportunity.
Pantoja is described as healthy and intent on winning back the championship. Van arrives as champion and favorite, carrying the momentum of the UFC 323 finish. Those facts establish the basic stakes without promising any particular style or outcome: the champion is defending a belt for which the challenger has already suffered a fast loss, and the challenger is returning with a chance to alter that narrative.
Flyweight is the division in which Van and Pantoja are competing. In UFC terminology, a title fight is contested for a championship belt, and main-event title bouts are scheduled for five rounds. Other non-title bouts on the card may be scheduled differently; the available card listing specifically identifies the Van-Pantoja contest as the five-round championship main event.
The event also follows UFC 330, where Islam Makhachev defended the welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in Philadelphia. UFC 331 shifts the promotion’s next numbered stop from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, with the flyweight division taking the headline slot.
UFC 331 main card
The main card is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and includes four listed bouts:
- Flyweight title fight: Joshua Van (champion) vs. Alexandre Pantoja — main event
- Lightweight: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Maurício Ruffy
- Featherweight: Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho
- Light heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Cards are structured in sections because the event unfolds across a long broadcast window. The main card is the later, featured portion of the night, while the preliminary bouts give the show its earlier stages. For a viewer interested only in the championship matchup, the 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT main-card start is the relevant benchmark, although it does not guarantee an exact walkout time for the headliner. The timing of a main event naturally depends on the duration of the preceding fights and any breaks in the live production.
Tsarukyan versus Ruffy is the listed lightweight contest beneath the title bout. Pitbull versus Choi is the featherweight matchup, while Menifield versus Baraniewski represents light heavyweight. Together, they place three different men’s weight classes around the flyweight championship main event.
Prelims and early prelims
The prelims are scheduled for 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT:
- Heavyweight: Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
- Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
- Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
- Featherweight: Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang
The early prelims are scheduled for 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT:
- Middleweight: Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz
- Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
- Women’s flyweight: Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
- Featherweight: Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
The listed lineup covers heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, flyweight and women’s flyweight. For fans planning a full-card watch, the useful approach is to treat 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT as the start of the live event and 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT as the start of its featured segment. Joining at the main-card time means missing the eight bouts listed across the earlier sessions.
Attending UFC 331 in Los Angeles
For those looking to attend in person, tickets were listed as still available through major ticket marketplaces and ticketing services including Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, TicketNetwork and Gametime. Availability, seating locations and final prices can move quickly for a live event, particularly close to showtime, so prospective attendees should verify their selection and the seller’s terms before completing a purchase.
As a high-profile Los Angeles event, UFC 331 may also attract celebrity attendees. Names floated as possible spectators include Shane Gillis, Anthony Kiedis, Chris Pratt and Shaquille O’Neal, though such appearances are not a confirmed part of the fight card and should not be treated as guaranteed.
What to remember before the broadcast
- Van defends the flyweight title against Pantoja in a five-round main event.
- Their previous title fight ended in a 26-second Van win at UFC 323 in late 2025.
- Early prelims begin at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT; prelims follow at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
- The main card starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
- UFC 331 is listed as included with Paramount+, not as a separate PPV purchase.
- Exact main-event timing will depend on how long the earlier bouts last.
For UFC 331, the headline is simple: a champion who won the belt in a blink faces the former champion again, this time with five rounds available to determine whether the first meeting was the definitive answer or merely the beginning of the rivalry.
