# UFC 331 time in Pakistan: Van vs Pantoja 2 main card starts 6am Sunday

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/mma/ufc-331-time-in-pakistan-van-vs-pantoja-2-main-card-starts-6am-sunday)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 17 Sept 2026
Updated: 17 Sept 2026
Retrieved: 17 Sept 2026

> Joshua Van defends the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja in Los Angeles. Pakistani fans can watch the early prelims from 2:30am PKT, as Ilia Topuria says he is medically cleared to return.

**UFC 331** takes place on Saturday 19 September at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. In Pakistan that means an early Sunday morning. The **main card starts at 6:00am PKT on Sunday 20 September**, and it is headlined by the flyweight title rematch between champion **Joshua Van** and former champion **Alexandre Pantoja**.

## UFC 331 start times in Pakistan

| Segment | US Eastern (Sat 19 Sep) | Pakistan (Sun 20 Sep) |
|---|---|---|
| Early prelims | 5:30pm | 2:30am |
| Prelims | 7:00pm | 4:00am |
| Main card | 9:00pm | 6:00am |

The title fight is the last of the 5 main-card bouts, so it will start well after 6:00am. The exact time depends on how long the earlier fights last.

## The main card

- Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title)
- Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy (lightweight)
- Patricio Pitbull vs Dooho Choi (featherweight)
- Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf (heavyweight)
- Alonzo Menifield vs Iwo Baraniewski (light heavyweight)

The prelims include Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain and Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne.

## Why the rematch matters

The first fight, at UFC 323 in December 2025, lasted just 26 seconds. Van caught Pantoja's high kick and pushed him down, and Pantoja dislocated his elbow as he fell. The fight was stopped and Van became champion, CBS Sports reported. Pantoja had defended the belt 4 times before that night, and he now has a 30-6 record.

Van, 24, was born in Myanmar and fights out of Houston. He is 17-2 and defended the title in May at UFC 328, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round. CBS Sports reports that Pantoja was once a 3-to-1 favourite against Van and is now the betting underdog.

According to Sherdog, Pantoja said he was back in the gym 2 days after the injury. "I like to see he got a title defense before we fight because this makes it more real. He's the champion of the world now," he said. He also told CBS Sports that the first result did not settle anything: "He didn't beat me."

## Topuria is cleared, but has no fight yet

Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria says he has passed his final medical tests. He lost to Justin Gaethje at the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House, where his corner stopped the fight after round 4, Sherdog reported. "Final medical tests done. I'm back," Topuria posted. He also said he will "make sure they check Justin's gloves" next time.

No return fight has been announced, though Sherdog says a Gaethje rematch is strongly rumoured. Tsarukyan, who fights on Sunday's main card, has already called Topuria's glove claim "just excuses", according to Sherdog.

## Where to watch in Pakistan

For UFC 329 in July, tapmad was the official streaming platform in Pakistan, carrying the full card on its app and website. Its schedule page did not list UFC 331 when we checked on 17 September, so check the app before Sunday morning. In the US, the event is on Paramount+.

Pakistan's athletes are also in action this weekend. See our [Asian Games 2026 guide](/news/sports/asian-games-2026-pakistan-sends-246-to-japan-in-23-sports-arshad-nadeem-leads-ho) and the women's cricket semi-final details on the [cricket match centre](/cricket).

## Frequently asked questions

**What time is UFC 331 in Pakistan?**

The early prelims start at 2:30am PKT, the prelims at 4:00am and the main card at 6:00am on Sunday 20 September.

**Who is fighting in the UFC 331 main event?**

Flyweight champion Joshua Van defends his title against former champion Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch.

**Is Ilia Topuria fighting at UFC 331?**

No. Topuria says he has been medically cleared to return, but the UFC has not announced his next fight.

## Sources

- Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 (event page, 19 Sep 2026) (UFC): https://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-331
- Alexandre Pantoja fully healed, ready to reclaim UFC title from Joshua Van (17 Sep 2026) (Sherdog): https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Alexandre-Pantoja-fully-healed-ready-to-reclaim-UFC-title-from-Joshua-Van-202843
- UFC 331: Alexandre Pantoja ready to remind of his talent in rematch with Joshua Van (Sep 2026) (CBS Sports): https://www.cbssports.com/ufc/news/ufc-331-alexandre-pantoja-joshua-van-rematch-injury/
- Ilia Topuria cleared for UFC return, takes shot at Justin Gaethje (17 Sep 2026) (Sherdog): https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Ilia-Topuria-cleared-for-UFC-return-takes-shot-at-Justin-Gaethje-202838
- Joshua Van retains UFC flyweight title with TKO of Tatsuro Taira (May 2026) (ESPN): https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/48728134/joshua-van-retains-ufc-flyweight-title-tko-tatsuro-taira
- Watch UFC 329 live on tapmad in Pakistan (8 Jul 2026) (tapmad): https://www.tapmad.com/blog/watch-ufc-329-live-on-tapmad-in-pakistan-streaming-and-timings/6922-4-0

How to cite: "UFC 331 time in Pakistan: Van vs Pantoja 2 main card starts 6am Sunday", Searchable, 17 Sept 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/mma/ufc-331-time-in-pakistan-van-vs-pantoja-2-main-card-starts-6am-sunday