The UFC heads to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for a bumper UFC 331 card this weekend, headlined by a highly anticipated rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. In the co-main, Arman Tsarukyan goes toe-to-toe with Mauricio Ruffy in a battle to become the No.1 Lightweight contender, and Patricio Pitbull takes on Choi Doo-ho. We take a look at my best bets on the UFC 331 card below!
UFC 331 Preview & Betting Tips
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Joshua Van looks to defend his title for the second time this weekend against the man he beat to win it. The record shows Van TKO’d Alexandre Pantoja in the first round, but really there is next to nothing you can take from that fight. The fight had barely gotten underway and Pantoja was pressuring Van, throwing punches in bunches, before his head kick was caught by Van, who then pushed Pantoja to the mat and as the Brazilian fell, he hurt his arm, leaving him unable to fight.
The bout ended just 26 seconds in, leaving the MMA world wondering how a rematch would play out. Now we have the chance to find out, and Van’s stocks have only grown since then after he neutralised Tatsuro Taira’s grappling to earn his first title defence. However, Pantoja is a better striker than Taira and arguably a better grappler.
So Van’s improved grappling defence is the big question for me. Is it good enough to keep Pantoja off him? That is truly the question that has to be answered. For mine, I am going to say no due to the fact Pantoja isn’t just a grappler, he’s a pressure striker who overwhelms his opponents before taking them down or jumping on their back. This will give Van so much to think about, and as long as the 36-year-old’s chin hasn’t gone in his time off, I have him as the man who gets his hand raised. I have Pantoja as a slight favourite, so underdog odds for the former champ is too good to refuse.
Alexandre Pantoja to Win
$2.10 (2.5 Units)
Doo-ho Choi v Patricio Pitbull
Doo-ho Choi has 14 knockouts in his 17 MMA wins, while Pitbull has 12 knockouts and 12 submissions across 37 victories, making this a fascinating contest. However, while Choi is on the improve, the same can’t be said for Pitbull.
Choi has stopped hunting the knockout and instead now fights smarter and builds pressure on his opponents. This was seen in his wins over Nate Landwehr and Daniel Santos, where he was patient and eventually got the stoppage in the third and second rounds, respectively.
Here he meets an ever-dangerous opponent who at the peak of his powers, was a three-time Bellator featherweight champion and also held Bellator’s lightweight title at the same time in 2019. Pitbull also has an array of finishes on his highlight reel, from punches to knees, guillotines, heel hooks and the old faithful rear naked choke.
However, he is not the same fighter anymore that he once was, as seen in his underwhelming UFC run. He lost a decision to Yair Rodríguez in his debut, beat Dan Ige by decision, then dropped a unanimous decision to Aaron Pico.
While he has the power advantage here, Choi is the better all-round striker, has improved wrestling defence and should be able to get the better of most of the exchanges. However, given Pitbull is hard to put away, and Choi is likely to be even more patient against someone who carries one hell of a punch, I am backing Choi to win by decision.
Doo-ho Choi by decision
$3.00 (2 Units)
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Iwo Baraniewski is going to land a huge KO early here. While it would be really nice to see more of Baraniewski, I don’t see it happening. Alonzo Menifield may have the composure, but he doesn’t have the chin to test the rangy Pole.
Baraniewski has that famed Polish Power, and anyone he touches goes to sleep. He is also from what I have seen, no slouch grappling wise, not like we'd really know. While both men can crack, Baraniewski has the power advantage and the skills to capitalise on any error from Menifield. Expect Baraniewski to fight behind the jab, smash Menifield’s lead leg and before long land a shot that lays him out.
Baraniewski by KO/TKO
$1.84 (4 Units)
