UFC 331 MMA KO Staff Predictions: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 Main Card Picks

The wait for UFC 331 is nearly over, and the MMA Knockout staff have made their picks for all five fights on the event’s main card.

The main event will see Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja finally settle things after their first flyweight title bout ended via injury in just 26 seconds, and in the co-main event Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy square off to potentially decide the next challenger for the UFC lightweight
belt,

The main card is rounded out by Patricio Pitbull vs. Doo Ho Choi, Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf, and Iwo Baraniewski vs. Alonzo Menifield.

Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 Predictions

Joshua Van (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Tatsuro Taira (blue gloves) during UFC 328 at Prudential Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drew Beaupré: In my opinion, it would truly be one of the more impressive comeback stories in recent memory if Pantoja, at 36 years old and coming off a freak injury that cost him the UFC flyweight title, is able to return and reclaim his belt from a significantly-younger fighter that looks to be on the cusp of true UFC stardom. I did pick the Brazilian to win their first encounter because I wasn’t how Van would be able to handle Pantoja’s grappling, but “The Fearless” did answer at least some of those questions when he defended his title against another dangerous submission threat in Tatsuro Taira. I have to side with Van this time around given all the question marks around Pantoja’s
return, but it will be a real shame if that arm injury at UFC 323 ends up being the lasting image of one of the most dominant flyweight title runs in UFC history. (Pick: Van)

Zain Bando: Arguably one of the UFC’s biggest rematches of the year, defending UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Van rematches former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja in a fight whose first iteration left more questions than answers. Pantoja suffered a left elbow hyperextension at UFC 323 last December, which led to Van winning the title in only 26 seconds. With roughly eight months to recover, it’s unclear how Pantoja will look come fight night, as the first meeting was just getting started. Meanwhile, Van has since defended his title and played mind games with Pantoja every chance he's had in the lead-up to Saturday night. It’s hard to back the Brazilian here with all factors at play, as Van’s win ushered in a new era at 125 pounds, regardless of how anticlimactic it may have been. I see “and still” as the rightful outcome, with Van earning a decision. (Pick: Van)

Verdict: Unanimous for Van

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy Predictions

Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Drew: I’m a little bit surprised how much stock some fans seem to put into Ruffy’s last win over Michael Chandler. That doesn’t change the fact that the Brazilian does possess incredible knockout power and secured a legitimately impressive win against Rafael Fiziev, but that last matchup was an excuse to build Ruffy up while giving Chandler a spot on the White House card. We’ve certainly seen Tsarukyan get rocked before, but we already saw a less-dominant grappler in Benoit Saint-Denis showcase the blueprint for how to defeat Ruffy just last year. (Pick: Tasrukyan)

Zain: The UFC doesn't have a villain every day who can’t break out of his free-spirited independence, but that’s where UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan finds himself entering Saturday night’s five-round, non-title lightweight offering. Tsarukyan saw an opportunity slip through his fingers when he didn’t fight then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in Jan. 2025. Injured or not, he had to work his way back to respectability with the promotion, but he isn’t quite free to earn a title shot solely based on his current body of work. The UFC has tasked him with beating a high-octane knockout artist in Mauricio Ruffy. If he avoids an early blitz on the feet, finding the submission could be key to making himself an undeniable No. 1 lightweight contender. (Pick: Tsarukyan)

Verdict: Unanimous for Tsarukyan

Patricio Pitbull vs. Doo Ho Choi Predictions

Patricio Pitbull (red gloves) fights Aaron Pico (blue gloves) during UFC 327 at Kaseya Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drew: I’ll freely admit that I didn’t really expect Choi would be able to recapture his initial hype following three-straight loss and an extended break for his mandatory military service in South Korea, but he’s looked tremendous on his current three-fight finishing streak. I’m very interested to see if he’ll be able to replicate that type of performance against Pitbull, who is the kind of savvy veteran that might be able to slow Choi down and draw him into a fight that would favor the Brazilian a bit more. I could definitely see Pitbull catching him with a big counter shot at some point, but I don’t know that a 39-year-old version of the Bellator legend will be able to stifle Choi’s ferocity at this stage. (Pick: Choi)

Zain: Two longtime MMA veterans meet, looking to make a statement in a crowded featherweight division whose champion, Alexander Volkanovski, could be nearing retirement in the not-so-distant future. Patricio Pitbull has gone through leaps and bounds, from a stellar run in Bellator to trying to make a name for himself in the UFC. He still hasn’t found that signature win, in my opinion, to justify the UFC’s initial signing. On the flip side, Doo Ho Coi is rarely, if ever, in a boring fight, which should make for a striker’s delight, should Pitbull come prepared. Unfortunately for Choi, the step up in competition following three impressive finishes seems like too big a risk. Expect a mid-fight finish, but the lean here is Pitbull’s experience: more specifically, a second-round stoppage win. (Pick: Pitbull)

Verdict: 1-1 Split

Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf Predictions

Gable Steveson (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Elisha Ellison (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drew: We know what the UFC is doing with this matchup, and it was no surprise that this fight was immediately promoted to the main card after the Brian Ortega vs. Renato Moicano rematch fell through. Any sense of significance or intrigue here really just comes down to whether or not we get the chance to see Steveson show off any technical improvements compared to his debut against Elisha Ellison. The fun of the heavyweight division is that it can only take one clean shot to totally change the narrative of a bout, but we’ll probably have to wait at least a couple more fights before we see Steveson really challenged by anyone. (Pick: Steveson)

Zain: In one of the easier fights to pick for the rest of the UFC calendar, rising prospect Gable Steveson put the heavyweight division on notice in his July debut against Elisha Ellison. Like Ellison, Sean Sharaf is likely on the verge of being cut after an 0-2 start, barring a miracle performance against the ex-collegiate wrestler and Olympic gold medal-winning phenomenon. It’s not a matter of if Steveson will win, but when and how. Expect a short night at the office for Jon Jones’ teammate and training partner. (Pick: Steveson)

Verdict: Unanimous for Steveson

Iwo Baraniewski vs. Alonzo Menifield Predictions

Iwo Baraniewski (red gloves) reacts after defeating Austen Lane (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drew: I think this is a great bit of matchmaking here, as Baraniewski is due for a step up in competition after making short work of his first three UFC opponents. The majority of Menifield’s UFC losses have admittedly come via knockout, but he’s an experienced fighter coming off a big finish of his own against Mingyang Zhang. The pick still has to be Baraniewski just because of what a force he’s looked like so far, but Menifield definitely feels like a live underdog and it will be interesting to see what happens if he’s able to take “Rudy” beyond the first round for the first time in his professional career. (Pick: Baraniewski)

Zain: Opening main card action, light heavyweight. Iwo Baraniewski looks to keep his unbeaten record intact against Alonzo Menifield. Baraniewski is arguably catching Menifield at the perfect time. Despite Menifield's win over Zhang Minyang in May, he has dropped three of his last five overall. Baraniewski, meanwhile, has finished all his UFC wins since making his debut last December. Given Menifield’s durability, a sneaky competitive fight could transpire, which is why, ultimately, a judges’ decision may be a necessity after 15 minutes. (Pick: Baraniewski)

Verdict: Unanimous for Baraniewski

Be sure to check back on our homepage for predictions for the UFC 331 preliminary card, a betting guide, and live coverage of the event.

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