REPORT: Alexandre Pantoja’s return in the works for UFC 331 after year-long hiatus

Former UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will get a crack at getting his former title back, reportedly at UFC 331.

After UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van defeated Tatsuro Taira in one of the wildest fights of the year at UFC 328, the current champ seemed destined to run it back with former titleholder Alexander Pantoja. Pantoja lost the UFC flyweight title to Van after suffering an arm injury just minutes into their fight at UFC 317.

Many questioned when Pantoja would return to the Octagon after suffering the injury. Luckily, Pantoja’s injury wasn’t as severe as first thought, and the future UFC Hall of Famer has been chomping at the bit to get another shot at the current flyweight titleholder.

According to recent reporting, the UFC is planning on booking Van vs. Pantoja 2 for the promotion’s rumored return to the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Alexandre Pantoja set to run it back with Joshua Van after injury in first fight

As first reported by MMA content creator Kevin K on X, Van vs. Pantoja 2 is in the works for UFC 331 on September 19th. As of this writing, the fight hasn’t been confirmed by the promotion, and UFC 331 remains without an official main event booked.

If the reporting rings true, Van and Pantoja will clash in one of the biggest fights in UFC flyweight history. Van’s stock has risen during Pantoja’s hiatus after his instant classic against Taira earlier this year.

Before suffering the arm injury against Van, Pantoja won eight consecutive fights, including a split decision win over Brandon Moreno to win the title at UFC 290. He went on to defend the belt against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura, and Kai Kara-France before the Van fight.

UFC 331 features a heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, along with a bantamweight bout between Marlon Vera and Charles Jourdain.

What is your early prediction for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!