UFC 331 Van vs Pantoja odds, expert picks — SkimNews
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- Joshua Van defends his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday, with Van installed as a -135 favorite and Pantoja at +114.
- The main event is a rematch of their December bout, where Pantoja dislocated his elbow just 26 seconds in and lost the belt without being finished; Van then defended the title in May by finishing Tatsuro Taira.
- Arman Tsarukyan (-305) meets Mauricio Ruffy (+245) in the co-main lightweight bout, returning to title contention after pulling out of a UFC 311 rematch with Islam Makhachev.
- CBS Sports experts split on the main event: Brian Campbell picks Pantoja citing experience and motivation, while Brent Brookhouse and Shakiel Mahjouri back Van — with Mahjouri drawing a Conor McGregor-Jose Aldo upset comparison.
- Tsarukyan is the unanimous pick across all three experts over Ruffy, with each citing Ruffy's 2025 loss to Benoit Saint Denis as evidence of a grappling deficiency Tsarukyan can exploit.
- Dooho Choi (-285) faces Bellator legend Patricio Pitbull (+215) on a four-fight unbeaten streak with three straight TKOs, while Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson sits as a staggering -2100 heavyweight favorite over Sean Sharaf.
Why it matters: Pantoja's title loss came via 26-second injury stoppage rather than a clear defeat, leaving Van's championship credentials contested even after his Taira win. With CBS Sports experts splitting 2-1 in Van's favor and Pantoja a slight +114 underdog, Saturday settles whether Van is a legitimate champion or merely benefited from a fluke elbow injury.
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