A Champion Defending Against the No. 1 Contender
UFC 331 is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, September 19, 2026, in Los Angeles, at the Crypto.com Arena, which corresponds to the night of September 19 to 20 in Paris.
The official page lists three separate start times, converted here for a US and European reader: early prelims begin at 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT on September 19 (11:00 PM in Paris), the preliminary card follows at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT (1:00 AM in Paris on September 20), and the main card goes on at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT (3:00 AM in Paris on September 20). The main card is where the championship fight takes place.
In the main event, the event page lists Joshua Van as champion and Alexandre Pantoja as the No. 1 contender. The fight is billed as a flyweight championship bout over five rounds. Both Joshua Van’s profile and his opponent’s are available on the site.
The records listed on Tapology show 17 wins and 2 losses for Joshua Van, and 30 wins and 6 losses for Alexandre Pantoja. The experience gap is clear; the gap in momentum is less so.
Tapology titles the event Van vs. Pantoja 2. This numbering indicates a rematch, but neither of the two pages consulted specifies the date or outcome of their first meeting. The point remains open below, and the flyweight division page gathers the site’s content on this category.
A Co-Main Event Also Set for Five Rounds
Arman Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy in the lightweight division. The Tapology listing indicates a five-round format for this fight, which is unusual outside of a headliner or title fight. The official UFC page does not specify this.
Tapology lists Tsarukyan at 23 wins and 3 losses, Ruffy at 14 wins and 2 losses, ranking them third and tenth, respectively, in the lightweight division.
A Stacked Main Card
Renato Moicano faces Brian Ortega in the lightweight division. Patricio Pitbull, whose profile is already on the site, faces Doo Ho Choi in the featherweight division. Alonzo Menifield faces undefeated Iwo Baraniewski in the light heavyweight division, and Gable Steveson faces Sean Sharaf in the heavyweight division.
One fight will draw the attention of French-speaking fans: Marlon Vera faces Charles Jourdain in the bantamweight division. The Quebecer is one of the few French-speaking fighters on the North American circuit, and his name does not yet appear in any of our content on the organization.
The rest of the card pits Tai Tuivasa against Robelis Despaigne in the heavyweight division, Edmen Shahbazyan against Brunno Ferreira in the middleweight division, Giga Chikadze against Joanderson Brito in the featherweight division, Casey O’Neill against Eduarda Moura in the women’s flyweight division, Ryan Gandra against Ozzy Diaz in the middleweight division, and Michael Aswell Jr. against Joosang Yoo in the featherweight division.
FAQ
When does UFC 331 take place?
Saturday evening, September 19, 2026, in Los Angeles, which corresponds to the night of September 19 to 20 in France. The official page lists three start times: 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT on September 19 for the early prelims, 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT for the preliminary card, and 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT for the main card (11:00 PM, 1:00 AM, and 3:00 AM in Paris, respectively). This is why some sources date the event to the 19th and others to the 20th.
Who is the UFC flyweight champion?
On the official UFC 331 page, Joshua Van is listed as champion, and Alexandre Pantoja is designated the No. 1 contender. The main event is billed as a five-round title defense. The rankings shown by Tapology differ slightly from the UFC’s on this fight.
Is there a French-speaking fighter on the card?
Yes. Charles Jourdain, a fighter from Quebec, faces Marlon Vera in the bantamweight division. He is the only French-speaking fighter identified on the card as announced on August 26, 2026. Tapology credits him with 18 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, and ranks him ninth in his division.
How many fights are on the card?
Thirteen fights are listed on the card announced by the UFC. The lineup remains subject to change until the official weigh-in, as is the case for any event announced several weeks in advance. Injury withdrawals and late additions are common at this stage of the schedule.
Conclusion
UFC 331 offers a flyweight title defense and a co-main event announced as a five-round bout, a rare format outside of a championship fight. For a French-speaking site, the most valuable angle remains the presence of Charles Jourdain, absent from existing content. Still to be documented is the first meeting between Van and Pantoja, which neither the UFC nor Tapology detail on the pages consulted.
