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UFC 331: Van Defends Flyweight Title Against Pantoja in Los Angeles
UFC 331 took place on September 19, 2026, in Los Angeles, featuring flyweight champion Joshua Van defending his title against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch. Drake placed a $650,000 bet on Van's victory through cryptocurrency platform Stake, with potential winnings of $448,500.
Quick Facts
- UFC 331 flyweight title rematch
- Van defended title against Pantoja
- Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy lightweight co-main event
- Drake placed $650,000 bet on Van
- Pitbull vs. Choi featherweight bout
Related Insights
Drake Bet $650K on Joshua Van… Did the Drake Curse Strike UFC 331? Pujan Bhai Comedy · YouTube
UFC 331 took place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, featuring a flyweight title rematch between champion Joshua Van and former champion Alexandre Pantoja. The main event represented a second meeting between the two fighters after their first encounter at UFC 323 in December 2025, where Van won the belt when Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow in the opening seconds, resulting in a TKO. Van had since defended the title against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in May, earning a fifth-round knockout.
The co-main event featured a lightweight matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy, both ranked among the division's top contenders. Tsarukyan returned to the Octagon after a nearly one-year layoff, maintaining a five-fight winning streak that included a notable victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300. Ruffy arrived with two consecutive knockouts in 2026, defeating Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler.
The main card included additional notable bouts: Patricio Pitbull, a former three-time Bellator featherweight champion, faced UFC Hall of Famer Doo Ho Choi at featherweight; Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (4-0 record) fought Sean Sharaf at heavyweight; and light heavyweight veteran Alonzo Menifield faced unbeaten prospect Iwo Baraniewski, who holds a 100 percent finish rate in three UFC appearances since December 2025.
Rapper and entrepreneur Drake placed a $650,000 bet on Van's victory through Stake, a cryptocurrency gambling platform with which he maintains a brand partnership. Drake posted the betting slip to social media with the message "I don't know bro … but he better win." If successful, the wager would yield $448,500 in profit. Drake's high-profile UFC wagers have a mixed track record, including previous bets on Conor McGregor against Max Holloway, Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua, and Israel Adesanya against Dricus du Plessis. Critics have questioned the veracity of some gambling sessions involving Drake and Stake due to their commercial relationship.
Van, age 24, holds the distinction of being the first Burmese-born champion in UFC history and the first titleholder born in the 2000s. Pantoja, 36, entered as ESPN's No. 8-ranked pound-for-pound fighter and holds the record for most wins in UFC flyweight division history with 14. He was returning from a nine-month recovery from his elbow injury.
Why This Matters
UFC 331 is a significant rematch in the flyweight division, where champion Joshua Van faces former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja following their first encounter in December 2025 that ended via injury TKO. The event includes high-ranked lightweight contenders (Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy), notable fighter debuts from other promotions (Bellator's Pitbull), and Olympic medalist Gable Steveson's UFC heavyweight appearance. Drake's $650,000 cryptocurrency bet on Van signals continued mainstream celebrity engagement with UFC gambling, though his betting track record through Stake has faced scrutiny regarding the authenticity of disclosed wagers given his commercial partnership with the platform.
Timeline & Sources
Sep 18, 2026
WirePre-event predictions and analysis published for UFC 331
Sep 19, 2026
WireUFC 331 takes place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
Sep 19, 2026
WireUFC 331 co-main event: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy (lightweight)
Sep 19, 2026
WireUFC 331 main card broadcast begins on Paramount+
Related Signals
Sources
- UFC 331 preview: Van vs. Pantoja 2 picks & predictionsSherdogMediaSep 18, 2026
- UFC 311 Pre-Event Facts: Former Champion Touts Record-Setting Win CountMMA SuckaMediaSep 18, 2026
- UFC 331 Results: Van vs. Pantoja 2Yahoo SportsMediaSep 19, 2026
- B/R Staff Predictions for UFC 331 Main CardBleacher ReportMediaSep 19, 2026
- UFC 331: Live results and analysis for Van vs. Pantoja 2ESPN IndiaMediaSep 19, 2026
- Drake places massive bet on UFC 331 main eventYahoo SportsMediaSep 19, 2026
- Drake places massive bet on UFC 331 main eventMMA FightingMediaSep 19, 2026