UFC 331 fight card predictions: Expert picks, odds for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja in Los Angeles — SkimNews
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- Joshua Van defends the UFC flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja in Saturday's UFC 331 main event in Los Angeles, a rematch of their December bout that ended after 26 seconds when Pantoja dislocated his elbow.
- CBS Sports experts split on the main event: Brian Campbell picks Pantoja as a motivated underdog with experience advantages, while Brent Brookhouse and Shakiel Mahjouri back Van, with Mahjouri comparing a potential Van finish to Conor McGregor's knockout of Jose Aldo.
- Arman Tsarukyan meets Mauricio Ruffy in the five-round co-main event at -305 odds; all three experts expect Tsarukyan's grappling to exploit the same weakness Benoit Saint-Denis exposed in his 2025 mauling of Ruffy.
- Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson opens as a -2100 favorite against Sean Sharaf (+1100) in his heavyweight bout — the most lopsided line on the 12-fight card.
- Dooho Choi rides a three-fight TKO streak into a featherweight clash with 39-year-old former Bellator two-division champion Patricio Pitbull, whom Campbell described as 'clearly at the tail end of his twilight.'
- UFC 331 airs on Paramount+, which carries every UFC numbered event and Fight Night for plans starting at $8.99/month or $89.99/year.
Why it matters: The Van-Pantoja rematch is a referendum on how a champion inherits his belt — Van won via Pantoja's 26-second injury, so Saturday determines whether Van earned the throne or merely occupied it. With Campbell siding with the motivated veteran and two colleagues backing the young champion's growth arc, the experts' split mirrors the betting line (-135 Van, +114 Pantoja).
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