Updated

Updated · UFC · Sep 15

UFC Sets Sept. 19 Van-Pantoja 2 at UFC 331 as Crypto.com Arena Hosts First Card in 8 Years

Updated

Updated · UFC · Sep 15

UFC Sets Sept. 19 Van-Pantoja 2 at UFC 331 as Crypto.com Arena Hosts First Card in 8 Years

Q: What forced UFC 331 to quietly abandon the Intuit Dome for Crypto.com Arena right before this massive Los Angeles showdown?

There is no confirmed public explanation that *forced* UFC 331 out of Intuit Dome. What is clear from the available reporting is that Intuit Dome was only the rumored site early on, while the UFC later officially announced Crypto.com Arena as the venue. The shift appears to have been a booking and scheduling change rather than a disclosed emergency. Multiple reports noted that UFC 331 “might” or was “rumored” to be headed to Intuit Dome in Inglewood, but when the event was formally unveiled just weeks before fight night, the promotion listed Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. Crypto.com Arena’s own event calendar also showed UFC 331 on Sept. 19, confirming the switch. No official statement in the cited material says the move was caused by construction issues, regulatory problems, or a specific conflict at Intuit Dome. The strongest inference is venue availability or event-calendar logistics. Intuit Dome has been adding major bookings, and reporting around other tenants and events shows the arena has been actively building out its schedule. So the direct answer is that UFC 331 did not “quietly abandon” Intuit Dome because of any publicly confirmed single problem. The event was rumored for Intuit Dome, but the UFC ultimately finalized Crypto.com Arena, most likely due to standard venue scheduling and booking considerations that were never formally detailed.

3 articles · Updated · UFC · Sep 15

UFC 331 will headline a flyweight title rematch between champion Joshua Van and former champion Alexandre Pantoja on Sept. 19 at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, the promotion's first event there in eight years.
Nine months after their first meeting ended 26 seconds in with Pantoja injured, Van enters with one title defense after stopping Tatsuro Taira, while Pantoja seeks to reclaim a belt he defended four straight times.
Arman Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy in a rare 5-round non-title lightweight co-main event, with the winner expected to strengthen a future championship case.
The card also features Patricio Pitbull vs Dooho Choi, Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf, and prelim bouts including Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain and Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne.
Paramount+ will carry the full event in the United States, with early prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET and the main card at 9 p.m. ET.