Joshua Van will defend his title when he meets Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight championship in the main event at UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday. It will be a rematch of their UFC 323 flyweight title bout last December, which saw Van earn a TKO. The five-bout main card is scheduled to start at approximately 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with the early prelims beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $50 bonus after $10 in trades:
In the main event, Van is a -130 favorite (risk $130 to win $100) in the UFC 331 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Pantoja is at +110. Elsewhere on the main card, Arman Tsarukyan is a -290 favorite against Mauricio Ruffy (+235) in a men's lightweight bout. Before locking in any UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 picks, make sure you see the UFC 331 predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.
Paramount+ is the only place to stream EVERY UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night live, at no additional cost. A subscription also gives you access to other sports content, including the UEFA Champions League, college basketball, the NFL and Big Ten on CBS and countless movies and shows. Plans start at just $8.99 per month, so sign up right here.
Over the past three-plus years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up nearly $10,000, and since May 2018, he has returned well over $21,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has provided consistent winners for SportsLine members for the past five years. His accomplishments include hitting five consecutive main-event underdog winners in 2020 following the UFC's brief pause in action because of the pandemic. Anyone who has followed Marley's UFC betting picks could have seen huge returns at betting sites.
Now, Marley has studied Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 from every angle and revealed his top picks for sports betting apps. Head to SportsLine to see them.
New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review to see their latest offers and get started. Claim the latest Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS here and get up a $25 bonus after trading $25+:
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 preview
Van, 24, enters the bout at No. 10 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. He has been dominant, and has won seven bouts in a row. He is coming off a TKO win over Tatsuro Taira as he defended his UFC flyweight crown at UFC 328 this past May. In 19 career matches, he has compiled a 17-2 record, with nine wins by knockout, two by submission and six by decision.
He began his professional MMA career with a TKO win over Tony Esquivel at Fury FC 52 in October 2021. After a 7-1 start, he signed with UFC and earned a split decision victory over Zhalgas Zhumagulov on June 24, 2023. Among his many accomplishments, Van is two-time Fight of the Night honoree and was named the 2025 President's Choice Fight of the Year winner for his unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 317. Check out SportsLine to see Marley's picks and analysis.
Pantoja, 36, is known as The Cannibal and is ranked No. 1 in the Meta UFC flyweight rankings. He is also No. 13 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. In 36 career matches, he has compiled a 30-6 record. He has eight wins by knockout, 12 by submission and 10 by decision. His last fight was against Van, when he lost his flyweight championship belt.
Pantoja began his professional MMA career in July 2007 with a win by submission over Antonio Carlos at Vila Fight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He compiled a 16-2 record before joining UFC, earning a split decision victory over Eric Shelton at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Pena on Jan. 28, 2017. He is a two-time Fight of the Night winner and four-time Performance of the Night recipient. You can only see Marley's picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 predictions
One of of Marley's UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 picks at the best betting apps: He is backing Eduarda Moura (+160) via submission over Casey O'Neill (-192) in a women's flyweight bout on the early preliminary card.
"Moura is the more physical grappler, and she could win a wrestling-heavy grappling match if her cardio holds up," Marley told SportsLine. "I also think she is live for an early sub. I could see this one going either way, so I'll side with the underdog." See who else to back here.
How to make UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 picks
Marley also has strong picks for Van vs. Pantoja 2 as well as every other bout on the UFC 331 fight card. He's also backing a favorite who is "the cleaner striker, and (who) looks more dangerous" to emerge with a big victory. He's sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins Van vs. Pantoja, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 2018, and find out.
UFC 331 main fight card, odds
See picks at SportsLine. (Odds from DraftKings and subject to change)
Joshua Van (-130) vs. Alexandre Pantoja (+110) Arman Tsarukyan (-290) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (+235) Patricio Pitbull (+220) vs. Dooho Choi (-270) Renato Moicano (-225) vs. Brian Ortega (+185) Alonzo Menifield (+185) vs. Iwo Baraniewski (-225)
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
