- Joshua Van is a -132 favorite over Alexandre Pantoja heading into Saturday’s title rematch at UFC 331.
- The main event round total sits at 4.5, with the over priced at +145.
- Arman Tsarukyan is a -350 favorite over Mauricio Ruffy in the five-round lightweight co-main event.
- Gable Steveson, elevated to the main card after Brian Ortega’s injury, is a -2000 favorite over Sean Sharaf.
LOS ANGELES – UFC 331 odds make Joshua Van a -132 favorite for Saturday’s title rematch with Alexandre Pantoja at Crypto.com Arena, a tighter number than a first fight that lasted 26 seconds ever settled.
A Fight The First 26 Seconds Never Settled
Van took the belt 26 seconds into their December meeting at UFC 323, where a caught head kick sent Pantoja tumbling and the fall wrecked his elbow, ending the night on the spot.
Pantoja had held the title for two and a half years and turned back four challengers, most recently a submission of Kai Kara-France, before an injury cost him the belt without a real fight taking place. The UFC put him straight back into a title fight rather than the contender line, and he remains the division’s No. 1-ranked challenger. A -132 price is what a book charges when it isn’t ready to call Saturday a formality for the champion.
Van Has Answered Part Of The Question Since
Van made his first defense in May against Tatsuro Taira, a fight that reached the fifth round before he closed it with strikes. That result is the case for Van entering Saturday as more than the product of one lucky finish. He has been hit, pushed into the championship rounds and still gotten the job done.
BetOnline’s board reflects the same read on how this one ends. The main event round total sits at 4.5, and the over pays +145 in plus money, a signal the book rates a finish inside four and a half rounds as the more likely outcome.
Saturday’s Board
The rest of Saturday’s UFC 331 card fills out the board below the two title fights above.
| Fight | Odds |
|---|---|
| Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title) | Van -132, Pantoja +113 |
| Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy | Tsarukyan -350, Ruffy +284 |
| Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf | Steveson -2000, Sharaf +1062 |
| Robelis Despaigne vs. Tai Tuivasa | Despaigne -700, Tuivasa +512 |
| Ryan Gandra vs. Ozzy Diaz | Gandra by KO -265 |
Tsarukyan Lays The Card’s Biggest Chalk Outside The Heavyweights
Tsarukyan, 23-3 and the No. 2-ranked lightweight, hasn’t lost since 2022. Ruffy, 14-2 and ranked No. 7, brings a finisher’s résumé built almost entirely on stoppages.
At -350, backing Tsarukyan means risking $350 to win $100 with no cushion for anything short of a win, a number the market is comfortable carrying given how lopsided the grappling matchup projects. Ruffy’s +284 line only cashes if his hands land before the fight ever hits the mat.
Steveson’s Number Is The Card’s Steepest
Steveson moved onto the main card after a training injury pulled Brian Ortega’s fight off the UFC 331 lineup this month. Unbeaten in four pro fights, all first-round knockouts, Steveson is -2000 against Sharaf, who is winless through two UFC appearances. Laying $2,000 to win $100 leaves almost no margin for error, the kind of number a book posts on a fighter it does not expect to be tested.
Two More Numbers On The Undercard
Despaigne is 6-2 with all six wins finished by knockout, and BetOnline has him a -700 favorite over Tuivasa, who is 14-10 and trying to snap a seven-fight losing streak. Laying $700 to win $100 on Despaigne leaves little room for anything but a win, the same steep math backing the other heavy favorites on the card.
The book also prices the fight to end inside the first round and a half at -260. Tuivasa’s +512 moneyline only pays off if the veteran’s power beats the clock.
Earlier on the card, Ryan Gandra is -265 to finish Ozzy Diaz by knockout, a sign the market expects an early stoppage before the walkouts for the bigger fights even start. Prices vary by sportsbooks and can move before Saturday’s opening bell.
The site’s full legal sports betting coverage of the card continues through fight night. Weigh-ins are Friday at Crypto.com Arena, with the main card beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Saturday on Paramount+.
