UFC 331 is upon us. This card delivers a mix of explosive prospects, seasoned veterans, and highly anticipated rematches to be held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. In this breakdown, we examine the night's most compelling matchups while highlighting the most promising picks on the board.
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Now, take your seat, lock in, and get ready for fight night!
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
In December 2025, Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja faced off, but we can hardly call that matchup a fight. Pantoja snapped his arm after just 26 seconds, abruptly ending the bout. Now, nine months later, we get the rematch.
For Polymarket traders, Van enters as the favorite, though his 56% implied odds hardly suggest a one-sided affair. Pantoja's main handicap is his age; he is 36 years old, while his opponent is a youthful 24.
Pantoja possesses excellent striking, yet he still trails Van, who comes in averaging 8.43 significant strikes per minute, the second-highest rate in the promotion. What makes Van impressive is how he pairs that offensive output with high accuracy and solid defense, a deadly combo for Alexandre Pantoja.
That is why backing Joshua Van on the moneyline is the most sensible play for the main event. While the gap between these two fighters is not insurmountable, a Pantoja victory would still be a major surprise.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Another high-profile fight on the card features Arman Tsarukyan against Mauricio Ruffy, and Polymarket traders hold a strong conviction on who owns the upper hand. With 76% implied odds, Tsarukyan commands a massive lead in prediction markets, even if not everyone is convinced he is the rightful heir to the lightweight throne.
Much of the hype surrounding Tsarukyan stems from his dominant performance against Dan Hooker, a fight he controlled from start to finish. The issue is that Hooker is a fighter in decline who has absorbed far too much damage in recent years to serve as a true litmus test.
Despite those reservations, Tsarukyan holds distinct structural advantages over Ruffy. Most notably, Ruffy’s primary weapon is his kicking game, which leaves him vulnerable to Tsarukyan’s greatest asset: the takedown.
In this instance, taking the moneyline is still the right read, though the high price of Tsarukyan's Yes shares limits the payout on its own. A solid alternative is pairing his victory with Fight Won by Submission and targeting Under 2.5 rounds.
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Looking at the trading board, Steveson’s odds suggest this is less of a fight and more of an execution for Sharaf. Stevenson enters on a brutal winning streak after making a statement in his promotional debut with a highlighted knockout.
It is clear that Steveson is nowhere near his ceiling, and this bout will likely serve as another display of the prospect's tremendous ceiling. So while the moneyline is priced correctly, there is little value in backing a runner that has effectively been declared the winner before the race even starts.
However, the immense hype surrounding Steveson opens up actionable opportunities elsewhere, such as targeting Over 1.5 total rounds at just 21 cents. No matter how dominant Steveson appears, that price remains a bargain.
