Van Vs. Pantoja 2 Press Conference Set For UFC 331

Joshua Van defends his flyweight championship against Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The pre-fight press conference streams live at 5 p.m. ET Friday, with Van, Pantoja, and co-main event fighters Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy all scheduled to appear. The event airs on Paramount+.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →

Pantoja Recovery Ahead Of Schedule After UFC 323 Injury

The flyweights first met at UFC 323, where an injury halted the bout. Pantoja has since recovered faster than expected, according to MMA Mania. "It was an extremely positive surprise the way Pantoja responded to the injury," American Top Team strength coach Everton Oliveira told Sherdog.com. "The following week, he was already doing physical therapy. Thanks to his dedication and commitment, his recovery was amazing."

Oliveira said Pantoja could have returned as early as May had the promotion needed him. "I'm excited to see this Pantoja 2.0 turbo version, with a performance above his normal level," he added. "He's more mature and at his physical and technical prime."

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →

In the co-main event, Tsarukyan faces Ruffy in a lightweight bout. Tsarukyan seeks a second shot at the 155-pound title after falling short in his previous attempt.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC 331 press conference video, LIVE stream updates | Van vs. Pantoja 2