In the main event, Joshua Van will defend the UFC flyweight championship against the man he defeated to take the belt, Alexandre Pantoja. Van won the belt when Pantoja injured his arm less than 30 seconds into their first meeting. Van is now looking to use the rematch to prove he is truly the top dog in the division, while Pantoja is battling to prove he still deserves the crown.
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan will battle Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal lightweight battle. Tsarukyan believes a win will land him in a lightweight title fight, but he faces a tough challenge in the hard-hitting Ruffy. red event and UFC Fight Night is included with your subscription! Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year!
With so much happening on Saturday night, let's look more closely at the full fight card with the latest odds before we get to our staff predictions and picks for the main card that you can consider before hitting the sportsbooks. Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (Odds as of Sept. 18) With such a massive main event on tap, the crew at CBS Sports went ahead with predictions and picks for the main card from Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Mahjouri, Michael Mormile and Brandon Wise. Campbell: After losing his title due to a dislocated elbow suffered just 26 seconds into his first bout with Van last December, the 36-year-old Pantoja has built quite an impressive set of chips on his shoulders as he enters the rematch as a betting underdog.
Yes, the 24-year-old Van showed incredible fighting spirit in his first title defense in May when he made the necessary mid-fight adjustments to hold off and finish Tatsuro Taira in their five-round war. But Pantoja still holds key advantages in both overall skills and experience, even if he's getting a bit long in the tooth. Let's not forget how much better Pantoja got as a fighter after winning the flyweight title so late in his UFC run.
The Brazilian legend has enough motivation to endure Van's offensive storm early and put himself in position to start a second reign as champion. Brookhouse: Van's showing against Taira was fantastic and showed he has the wrestling and grappling skills to stay out of the worst types of danger. Pantoja is a very good fighter, but he isn't likely to beat Van on the feet.
Pantoja is also fairly old for the division and returning from injury, so he has a lot working against him heading into the fight. Van is growing into his spot as a truly elite fighter, and if he gets his offense going early, it could spell a quick end for Pantoja. Mahjouri: Van made this analysis much tougher after showing out against Taira.
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