UFC 331: Top Picks, Odds, and Predictions Featuring Joshua Van

It's almost time for UFC 331 , a big card with championship stakes in the main event. That fight is a rematch between flyweight champion Joshua Van and the man from whom he took the title, Alexandre Pantoja .

In their first fight, Pantoja entered as champion but lost the belt when he suffered a fluke injury shortly after the opening bell. Pantoja is now looking to regain the championship, while Van wants to establish himself as the undeniable flyweight king.

With so much intriguing action set for UFC 331, there will no doubt be plenty of interest in the event, including at sportsbooks. With that in mind, we've once again looked at all the event's main card fights to identify our best bets for each.

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Alexandre Pantoja ready to remind fans of his talent in rematch with Joshua Van at UFC 331 Brian Campbell

After going 3-2 with our best bets for UFC 330, we are sitting at 21-21 for the year. Now we look ahead to this weekend with the goal of getting back in the black, with our only rule remaining that all bets must be at odds of -250 or better. Let's take a look at this week's picks with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski

Baraniewski by KO/TKO/DQ (-170)

Baraniewski has been spectacular in his three UFC fights (as well as his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series). None of his opponents have managed to last 90 seconds in the Octagon and in nine professional bouts, he has never seen the second round. Menifield is a considerable step up in competition for Baraniewski and sits as something of a fine gatekeeper in the light heavyweight division. Baraniewski is landing an absurd 11.35 strikes per minute, but doing so in very short bouts. Menifield only absorbs 3.81 strikes per minute, so there's a push and pull on whose striking approach will be more effective. I believe Baraniewski has the ability to implement his gameplan more than most fighters, and Menifield is good, but not good enough to outlast that pressure, and he has been knocked out four times in the UFC.

Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf

Pass

I simply can't find a line that matches our "best bets" criteria. Steveson is a -2100 favorite and the fight ending in under 1.5 rounds is -620. Also, Steveson is -275 to win by knockout. That puts every reasonable line for the fight out of our -250 or better rule. Steveson should win, and he should win with relative ease as he continues to receive soft touches while he develops as a fighter, something that normally would be done entirely on the regional scene.

Patrício Pitbull vs. Dooho Choi

Dooho Choi via decision (+215)

The odds say the most likely outcome is Choi by knockout (+130), but I'm thinking Pitbull still has enough in the tank to survive three rounds. Choi has been on a solid roll of late, while Pitbull's long-awaited time as a UFC fighter has been a dud. Pitbull is still a wildly talented fighter with tons of skill and fight knowledge, but his body isn't able to pull off the things he wants to do when his brain says to do them. That should pave a nice path to a Choi win.

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Over 3.5 rounds (+154)

The key question is: Do you believe Ruffy has substantially improved his wrestling since losing to Benoit Saint Denis ? "BSD" was able to take Ruffy down three times in 10 attempts, but he was able to keep him down and get the submission. Tsarukyan is a sizable favorite (-340) and should be. What Tsarukyan brings is good wrestling and pressure against a man in Ruffy, who is an explosive striker but relies heavily on his kicks and has some questionable cardio. Ruffy has the ability to catch anyone with a big shot, but that feels like the less likely outcome than Tsarukyan managing takedowns and wearing Ruffy down for a stoppage. It feels like that comes later in the fight than in the cautious early rounds of a five-rounder.

Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja

Joshua Van moneyline (-135)

I respect Pantoja and believed he would beat Van the first time around. Unfortunately, Pantoja suffered an arm injury seconds into that fight, allowing Van to leave as flyweight champion. While Pantoja has been recovering, Van has been getting even better. In beatinng Tatsuro Taira , Van looked exceptional. Pantoja is 36, and while I believe talk of lower weight fighters being incapable of staying consistent as they age, I do think that's getting up there for a flyweight to perform at an exceptional level. Van is able to defensively wrestle well enough to keep the fight standing more than not, and on the feet, he's simply better than Pantoja, which should set up a win that allows Van to erase any doubts about who truly rules the division.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/ufc/news/ufc-331-predictions-odds-best-bets-joshua-van-alexandre-pantoja-arman-tsarukyan/)._