UFC 331 Weigh-In Results Confirm Van vs. Pantoja 2

September 19, 2026 admin

The UFC 331 weigh-in results are official, and Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja have successfully made weight for their highly anticipated flyweight championship rematch.

Both fighters stepped onto the scale at 125 pounds during Friday’s official weigh-ins in Los Angeles. Because the bout is for the UFC flyweight championship, both competitors were required to meet the division’s championship limit without the one-pound allowance used for many non-title fights.

The successful weigh-ins officially clear the way for Van and Pantoja to meet again Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. The fight headlines UFC 331 and represents the next chapter in a rivalry that has taken an unexpected path since their first meeting.

All 24 fighters scheduled for the UFC 331 card successfully made weight, according to the official results.

UFC 331 Weigh-In Results: Van and Pantoja Both Hit 125

The biggest news from the scale was straightforward.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van weighed 125 pounds, while former champion Alexandre Pantoja also weighed 125 pounds.

That means the championship main event is officially set.

Van enters the contest as the reigning flyweight champion after winning the belt in unusual circumstances during their first encounter. Pantoja suffered an arm injury only 26 seconds into that fight, ending the contest and bringing his championship reign to an abrupt conclusion.

The result left unfinished business between the two fighters.

Pantoja subsequently spent months recovering, while Van moved forward with his title reign. Van later defended the championship against Tatsuro Taira, setting the stage for the former champion’s return and the long-awaited rematch.

Now both men have made weight and are ready to settle the championship question inside the Octagon.

Van Looks to Continue His Championship Run

Joshua Van enters UFC 331 as the defending flyweight champion.

The title represents a significant achievement for the fighter, but his reign has been shaped by the unusual circumstances surrounding his first fight with Pantoja.

Their initial contest lasted only 26 seconds because of Pantoja’s injury. As a result, the first meeting provided very little opportunity for either fighter to establish a complete game plan or demonstrate how the matchup might develop over multiple rounds.

Van has since had the opportunity to demonstrate that he can handle the pressure of championship competition.

His subsequent victory over Tatsuro Taira gave him a successful title defense and added another major challenge to his résumé. MMA Fighting described that contest as a Fight of the Year candidate, highlighting the level of competition Van faced while Pantoja was recovering.

The rematch therefore carries a different context.

Van is no longer the challenger trying to establish himself. He is now the champion attempting to defend his belt against the man who held it before him.

Pantoja Returns for a Second Chance

For Alexandre Pantoja, UFC 331 marks an opportunity to reclaim the championship.

The Brazilian fighter had been one of the UFC’s most established flyweight champions before the injury abruptly ended his first meeting with Van. His return has been anticipated since the moment the unusual ending left the championship picture unresolved.

Pantoja weighed exactly 125 pounds, matching Van and satisfying the championship requirement.

The circumstances of the first fight make this rematch particularly different from an ordinary title defense.

There was no long series of rounds in the first contest. Instead, the fight ended before the matchup could properly develop.

That means Saturday’s bout will provide both fighters with a chance to offer a much more complete answer about how they match up.

Pantoja will attempt to regain the championship he lost under unusual circumstances, while Van will try to prove that his reign can continue against the former titleholder.

Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy Also Make Weight

The UFC 331 co-main event also became official at Friday’s weigh-ins.

Arman Tsarukyan weighed 156 pounds, while Mauricio Ruffy weighed 155 pounds for their five-round lightweight bout. Because the fight is not a title contest, the standard one-pound allowance applies.

The matchup has additional significance because it is being treated as a potential title eliminator.

The winner is expected to move closer to a future opportunity against lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, with the possibility of a championship fight in 2027.

Unlike the main event, neither fighter needed to hit exactly 155 pounds.

Tsarukyan came in at 156, while Ruffy weighed 155, putting both fighters within the permitted limit.

Their five-round contest is scheduled to serve as the co-main event immediately before Van and Pantoja’s championship rematch.

Complete UFC 331 Main Card Weigh-In Results

The UFC 331 weigh-in results produced several interesting numbers across the main card.

The complete main card figures are:

Joshua Van — 125 pounds
Alexandre Pantoja — 125 pounds
Arman Tsarukyan — 156 pounds
Mauricio Ruffy — 155 pounds
Patricio Pitbull — 145.5 pounds
Doo Ho Choi — 146 pounds
Gable Steveson — 240 pounds
Sean Sharaf — 241 pounds
Alonzo Menifield — 205.5 pounds
Iwo Baraniewski — 206 pounds

The UFC’s official results list Van and Pantoja at the championship limit, while the remaining non-title fights use their applicable divisional allowances.

The main card is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with Van and Pantoja headlining the event.

UFC 331 Preliminary Card Weigh-In Results

The preliminary portion of UFC 331 also saw every scheduled fighter successfully make weight.

The results were:

Marlon Vera — 136 pounds
Charles Jourdain — 135 pounds
Tai Tuivasa — 264.5 pounds
Robelis Despaigne — 263 pounds
Michael Aswell Jr. — 146 pounds
JooSang Yoo — 145.5 pounds
Ryan Gandra — 186 pounds
Ozzy Diaz — 186 pounds

The UFC’s official list confirms that all four bouts cleared the weigh-in stage.

Marlon Vera and Charles Jourdain are scheduled for a bantamweight contest, while Tai Tuivasa and Robelis Despaigne will meet in a heavyweight matchup.

Michael Aswell Jr. faces JooSang Yoo at featherweight, and Ryan Gandra takes on Ozzy Diaz in the middleweight division.

Early Prelims Also Go According to Plan

The early preliminary card completed the full UFC 331 weigh-in process without a fighter missing weight.

The official numbers were:

Edmen Shahbazyan — 185 pounds
Brunno Ferreira — 184.5 pounds
Casey O’Neill — 125 pounds
Eduarda Moura — 125.5 pounds
Giga Chikadze — 146 pounds
Joanderson Brito — 145.5 pounds

All of those fighters successfully cleared their respective limits.

With no missed weights across the 24-fighter lineup, the UFC 331 card can proceed as scheduled.

UFC 331 Schedule and Location

UFC 331 is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

The event begins with the early preliminary card, followed by the prelims and then the main card. The UFC’s official schedule lists the early prelims for 5 p.m. ET, the prelims for 7 p.m. ET and the main card for 9 p.m. ET.

The entire event is scheduled to stream on Paramount+ in the United States.

The main event and co-main event are both scheduled for five rounds. The remaining fights are scheduled for three rounds.

For Van and Pantoja, the five-round championship format will give both fighters considerably more time than they received during their first encounter.

Why the Rematch Is Different

The most important element of UFC 331 is that fans finally get to see Van and Pantoja compete under normal fight conditions.

Their first meeting ended almost immediately.

Pantoja’s injury prevented the contest from developing, leaving questions about how the two fighters would perform against each other over several rounds. Van subsequently became champion, while Pantoja began his recovery.

That history gives the rematch a unique storyline.

Rather than simply defending a championship against a new challenger, Van is facing the former champion whose reign ended in a fight that lasted only seconds.

For Pantoja, meanwhile, the bout is an opportunity to take back the belt and establish a more definitive result.

The successful weigh-ins remove the final major obstacle before the fighters meet again.

Van vs. Pantoja 2 Finally Becomes Official

Friday’s weigh-ins provided the final confirmation that UFC 331’s championship main event is ready.

Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja both reached 125 pounds, ensuring that the flyweight title is on the line as scheduled.

The unusual history between the two fighters makes the rematch one of the central storylines of the event.

Van has since experienced life as champion, including a successful defense against Tatsuro Taira. Pantoja has had to recover from the injury that ended their first meeting and now returns with an opportunity to regain the championship.

The two fighters will now meet with significantly more at stake than they had when they first stepped into the Octagon.

Full UFC 331 Fight Card

Main Card

Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja — UFC Flyweight Championship
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy — Lightweight
Patricio Pitbull vs. Doo Ho Choi — Featherweight
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf — Heavyweight
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski — Light Heavyweight

Preliminary Card

Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain — Bantamweight
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne — Heavyweight
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. JooSang Yoo — Featherweight
Ryan Gandra vs. Ozzy Diaz — Middleweight

Early Prelims

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira — Middleweight
Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura — Women’s Flyweight
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito — Featherweight

The UFC confirmed the complete official weigh-in figures for all 12 scheduled bouts.

What Comes Next at UFC 331

With every fighter making weight, attention now turns from the scales to the Octagon.

Van and Pantoja will headline the event in a flyweight championship rematch that has been months in the making. Tsarukyan and Ruffy will compete in the five-round co-main event, while the rest of the card features a mixture of established names and rising contenders.

The weigh-in stage produced no major complications.

Now the focus shifts to the fights themselves.

For Van, the objective is to continue his championship reign. For Pantoja, it is a chance to reclaim the belt and provide a different ending to their unusual rivalry.

After both men successfully weighed 125 pounds, UFC 331 is officially ready to go.