Van vs Pantoja — Flyweight · Crypto.com UFC 331

Scheduled · 19 Sep 2026 Crypto.com UFC 331 · Flyweight · Main Event · 5 rounds · Los Angeles, California
Joshua Van, head-and-shoulders portrait
The Fearless
Joshua
Van
Record Record: 17-2-0
Wins
17
Losses
2
Draws
0
9KO/TKO
2Sub
6Dec

Red corner

17-2-0
Record
30-6-0
24
Age
36
1.65 m
Height
1.65 m
165 cm
Reach — Pantoja leads
170 cm
8.43
Sig. strikes landed / minStrikes / min — Van leadsSignificant strikes landed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter lands for every minute of fight time — a read on striking output and pace. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
4.38
65%
Finish rateFinish %Finish rateThe share of a fighter’s wins that ended inside the distance — by KO/TKO or submission — rather than going to the judges’ scorecards. Higher means more finishes.
—
Alexandre Pantoja, head-and-shoulders portrait
The Cannibal
Alexandre
Pantoja
Record Record: 30-6-0
Wins
30
Losses
6
Draws
0
8KO/TKO
12Sub
10Dec

Blue corner

Expectations

52%
Market — red corner favoredMarket expectations4-book vig-stripped consensus as of 2026-09-12 12:38. Percentages are an informational market signal, not betting advice.
48%

4-book vig-stripped consensus as of 2026-09-12 12:38. Percentages are an informational market signal, not betting advice.

Full Tale of the Tape · +11 more stats · radar
17-2-0
Record
30-6-0
5-0 last 5
Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
—
Orthodox
StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
—
9
Wins by KO/TKOKO/TKO wins — Van leads
8
2
Wins by submissionSub wins — Pantoja leads
12
5.82
Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbsorbed / min — Pantoja leadsSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
3.88
58%
Striking defenseStrike def. — Van leadsStriking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
50%
75%
Takedown defenseTD def. — Van leadsTakedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
69%
13:15
Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
11:56
Myanmar / United States
Nationality
Brazil
4oz Fight Club · Houston
Team
American Top Team

Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.

What to expect

Case for Van

Van brings a fast-rising challenger profile into the title fight.

Case for Pantoja

Pantoja brings championship experience and a complete flyweight game.

What to Watch

  • How Van handles five-round title pressure.
  • Whether Pantoja can dictate the grappling phases.

Analysts

Independent picks — analysts, fighters and betting desks — for this fight, each traced to a timestamped source and checked before it goes live, are being verified and will appear here ahead of fight night.

Verified picks coming soon.

Odds

What the markets imply for this fight — percentages are a vig-stripped consensus across the sportsbooks, not a forecast or betting advice.

Sportsbook consensus · Who wins

52% Joshua Van Money moved toward Joshua Van since the market opened: ▲ 1 since open
48% Alexandre Pantoja

Favoured: Van

All 4 books consensus 52%

  • BetOnline.ag52%0
  • BetRivers51%−1
  • DraftKings52%0
  • FanDuel51%−1

4 books within 1 point

Vig-stripped win probability for Van at each book — the chance implied once the bookmaker’s margin is removed. The consensus is the median across books. The small bar under each book is its gap from the consensus, on a fixed ±5-point scale; a hatched bar is off that scale.

4 sportsbooks as of 12 Sep 12:38 UTC · Not betting advice · 18+ (21+ where required) · Gambling help (opens in new tab)

Videos

Signature clips and the lead-up to this fight.

Before the fight · 2 clips
Signature moments

Browse all videos for this fight

Fighters

Joshua Van
17-2-0 · Flyweight · The Fearless
View profile →
Alexandre Pantoja
30-6-0 · Flyweight · The Cannibal
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Independent fan-made fight preview. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the UFC or any other MMA promotion. Analysis is editorial opinion, not betting advice. Fighter names and records are used for commentary. Image credits · Privacy · Terms.