MMA

UFC 331 Best Bets: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 goes the distance

Published

1 month ago

September 17, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

UFC 331 Best Bets: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 goes the distance

Credit: Zuffa LLC

UFC 331 features three wagers you should definitely put money on ahead of Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van and former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja will renew their rivalry in the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 331. After Pantoja lost the title due to an injury suffered against Van at UFC 323, the two flyweights will run it back in one of the biggest fights of 2026.

The UFC 331 co-main event features a top lightweight contender matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. The winner could be next for undisputed lightweight champion Justin Gaethje's first title defense, if he opts to continue competing.

While the top two fights at UFC 331 are sure to draw plenty of eager eyes, the card also features many other intriguing matchups. The UFC's return to Los Angeles and the Intuit Dome is expected to deliver in many ways.

UFC 331 is also expected to be a popular bet in sportsbooks around the United States. Ahead of the action, here are a few wagers you should consider for UFC 331.

All odds courtesy of BetOnline.

Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja OVER 4.5 RDs (+145)

Van and Pantoja will clash in one of the biggest fights in UFC flyweight history in the UFC 331 headliner. Pantoja returns to the cage for the first time since suffering an injury against Van in their first fight.

Since their first showdown, Van defended the flyweight title in an instant classic against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328. It was regarded as one of the greatest fights, regardless of division, in UFC history.

While Van and Pantoja's first matchup didn't last long, don't expect the same result to come to fruition in their rematch. Van, a technical boxer, will give Pantoja a crafty puzzle for the all-time great flyweight to solve.

But Van also showed off impressive submission defense in his come-from-behind win over Taira earlier this year. While Van isn't much of an offensive grappler, he showed the ability to get out of multiple submission attempts as Taira attempted to stop the fight.

Before recent submission wins over Kai Kara-France and Kai Asakura, Pantoja fought in three consecutive title bouts that went the full five rounds. This includes tightly contested decision wins over former titleholder Brandon Moreno and Steve Erceg.

While Van and Pantoja have the ability to stop the fight at any moment, their stylistic differences could lead to a slower-paced fight in the early rounds. Expect another instant classic at UFC 331.

Ryan Gandra by KO (-265)

UFC middleweight prospect Ryan Gandra will fight for the third time in 2026 against former LFA middleweight champ Ozzy Diaz. After his first two UFC fights lasted a combined 1:56, Gandra is looking for another blistering knockout at UFC 331.

Gandra, a Dana White's Contender Series alum, has won four consecutive fights by first-round knockout. His current knockout streak includes his UFC contract-clinching win over Trent Miller on DWCS in August 2025.

But Diaz also has a knack for fast starts in recent wins over Chuck Campbell and Bevon Lewis. However, knockout losses to Ateba Gautier and Joe Pyfer showed massive holes in the former LFA titleholder's stand-up.

After a quick turnaround following his last win, Gandra will likely look to get off to another fast start against Diaz. Once that happens, the fight could end in mere seconds unless Diaz is able to fend off Gandra's early barrage, making a quick knockout win a solid anchor bet.

Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne UNDER 1.5 RDs (-260)

Heavyweights Robelis Despaigne and Tai Tuivasa will look to turn the page on their recent UFC struggles. True to their styles, don't expect the fight to last long.

Despaigne returns to the UFC after knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano earlier this year. The Olympic bronze medalist in Taekwondo got off to a fast start to his hyped UFC career, before back-to-back sluggish losses to Austen Lane and Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Meanwhile, Tuivasa is looking to regain the form that made him a Top 5 heavyweight. The UFC fan favorite has lost seven consecutive fights entering UFC 331, making the Despaigne fight a must-win for his Mixed Martial Arts future.

Despaigne and Tuivasa share a lot of similarities. They both like to get off to fast starts, and both have question marks surrounding their gas tanks in the Octagon.

As such, it's very likely Despaigne vs. Tuivasa won't make it past Round 1. The high-percentage play at a modest line makes the under 1.5 rounds a safe leg.

What's your prediction for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

MMA

Morning Report | Chael Sonnen: Alexander Volkanovski double retirement fight pitch is ‘one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard’

Published

9 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Morning Report | Chael Sonnen: Alexander Volkanovski double retirement fight pitch is ‘one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard’

Chael Sonnen isn't buying Alexander Volkanovski's sales pitch.

This past weekend, Volkanovski successfully defended his featherweight title with a second-round stoppage of Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333. The win was yet another feather in the cap of one of the greatest fighters of all time, and afterward, Volkanovski quickly began to lobby for an even grander feather: a fight with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.

Despite the line of contenders at lightweight, Volkanovski suggested that he and Gaethje could do a superfight, with both men retiring afterward so as to not hold up either the 145-pound of 155-pound divisions. But Chael Sonnen thinks that's ridiculous.

â€œHe does not know what we are doing here,â€ Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. â€œVolkanovski just laid out one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard. â€¦ He's gonna go up, and he's gonna fight Justin Gaethje. He's got no problem with him; they get along. But they're gonna throw their arms around each other and put the gloves down in the middle when this thing is over. Who does that help? Why would anybody book that fight?

â€œIt was just a really weird thing to do. He suggested that he goes to 155 pounds to test himself. I appreciate that, except the fact that you're a â€˜55-pounder that cuts his ass off to not fight at â€˜55. You cut your ass off to not test yourself. You used to weigh 96 kgs [211 pounds]. â€¦

â€œI do challenge the notion that, â€˜I will go to 155 to test myself to fight Gaethje.' That's a cop out. That's a cop out by anybody. I don't mean that it's conscious, but that it's subconscious. If you want to go to 155 and test yourself, drop the strap and go into the division; exactly what Ilia Topuria did. Now, I understand that history is going to tell you that Ilia ended up with a title shot. He was not guaranteed a title shot when he dropped the strap and moved into the division.

â€œYou want to test yourself, do what Max Holloway did: be a â€˜45-pounder that enters â€˜55 with no guarantee. Which means if I lose, I don't get to say I lost to the best guy.'â€

It's unknown right now if the UFC has any interest in accommodating Volkanovski's pitch, though following UFC 333, UFC CEO Dana White did suggest it would be hard to deny â€œThe Greatâ€ many requests. That being said, Volkanovski has already had two shots to become a two-division UFC champion, losing twice to Islam Makhachev. In those instances, Volkanovski did not vacate his featherweight belt, and Sonnen seems to take umbrage with Volkanovski looking to get that same consideration for a third time.

â€œWhen Volk went up, he did not vacate; he did not burn his boats. If he was to burn his boats, he would have dropped the â€˜45-pound belt. â€¦

â€œThere's nothing stopping â€” there's no anchor tied to your ass to do that. You can do that now. Right now. â€¦ Make a public statement, that's all you've got to do to drop a belt. Tell the public you're dropping the belt. It's no different than we put a belt on a guy at a press conference. This really is how it works.

â€œYou want to test yourself? I like the idea. You want Gaethje? It's not the same thing. You want a shot at a world title that you've already had twice. It's not the same thing. You want to test yourself, do what Ilia did: drop the belt, go into the division.â€

Interim. Matt Brown defends Islam Makhachev, rips UFC for introducing another â€˜f*cking interim title.'

Chama. â€˜Go back to Chama': Israel Adesanya questions Alex Pereira for saying he'll return to 205 with UFC 335 loss.

GOAT. Aljamain Sterling explains why he's not ready to call Petr Yan the bantamweight GOAT just yet.

Christmas. Nakisa Bidarian teases Darren Till as possible next opponent for Jake Paul.

Wrestling. Arman Tsarukyan wrestles Anthony Pettis in RAF 15 main event.

The UFC Journey for Moicano vs. Tom Nolan.

DC talks to Sean O'Malley.

Patrick Habirora trains with Georges St-Pierre.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Movsar got a nice welcome home.

Very obviously no, since he just lost.

I don't think that was real.

Drew Dober is trying hard to break through as a content guy. Some of it is interesting.

TJ on them good vitamins now.

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Lewis McGrillen (13-2) vs. Nawras Abzakh (15-6); PFL Dubai; Nov. 14

Khmazat Abaev (6-1) vs. Leon Hill (10-2); PFL Dubai; Nov. 14

Aleksandra Savicheva (8-2) vs. Jacinta Austin (9-2); PFL Dubai; Nov. 14

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Denis Goltsov (37-9) vs. Maxwell Djantou Nana (9-2); PFL Dubai; Nov. 14

Quillan Salkilld (13-1) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (17-4, 1 NC); UFC Sydney, Feb. 6

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Rec 1ReplyRead 39 replies

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but letting Volkanovski get a third crack at a lightweight title would be absurdly silly when there are many more-deserving contenders waiting. But if you're going to push for it, at least just be honest and say why you really want it: because you love Volk and want him to get a chance at a meaningless second title.

Because that's what this is about. If he beats Gaethje and instantly retires, he won't be the best lightweight on Earth, the same way GSP wasn't the best middleweight. It's just collecting a trinket, at the expense of the careers of other deserving contenders.

Chael is right: if Volk wants another lightweight title shot, go up and beat a top contender. Then no one can possibly complain.

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