"Korean Superboy" Choi Doo-ho (35) and Yoo Ju-sang (32) will both compete at UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 next month.
UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 is scheduled for Sept. 20 (Korea Standard Time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Choi will face UFC featherweight No. 15 Patricio Pitbull (39, Brazil), while Yoo takes on "Texas Kid" Michael Azewell Jr. (25, United States).
Choi (17-1-4) is chasing his first return to the UFC rankings in eight years. After his UFC debut, he rattled off three consecutive KO wins and climbed to No. 11 in the featherweight rankings before being dropped from the rankings in July 2018. He resolved his mandatory military service obligations through an extended wait as a social service worker, then returned to the UFC in 2023, going 1-0-1 before reeling off another three straight KO victories. A win over No. 15 Pitbull would make Choi the longest-tenured active UFC roster member to re-enter the rankings.
Pitbull (37-9) is a veteran who held the Bellator featherweight and lightweight titles. Since signing with the UFC in 2025, he has gone 1-2. He began training jiu-jitsu at age 10, later added kickboxing and transitioned naturally into MMA. With 13 KO wins, 12 submissions and 13 decision victories, he is a well-rounded fighter capable of finishing opponents in multiple ways. He once trained alongside Jung Chan-sung at Fight Ready.
Choi, by contrast, has finished every UFC win by punch KO, showcasing powerful striking — 14 of his 17 career victories have come by KO. He has earned four Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night bonuses in the UFC, a testament to his crowd-pleasing style.
Yoo returns to the octagon roughly 11 months after suffering a KO loss to Daniel Santos at UFC 320 last October. A planned comeback against Gaston Bolanos in May was pushed back after Yoo sustained a toe injury.
Yoo (9-1), who signed with the UFC in December 2024 through "Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight," holds a 1-1 record in the promotion. The boxing-based fighter has delivered both of his recent wins by one-punch knockout, drawing attention for his explosive finishing ability.
His opponent, Michael Azewell Jr. (11-5), is a former Fury FC featherweight champion who made his UFC debut in May 2025 and stands at 1-3 in the promotion. He began training combat sports at 14 and turned professional at 20. Azewell has six KO wins and five decision victories and has never been finished in a loss, underscoring his durability.
The main event features UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van (24, Myanmar/United States) making his second title defense against former champion Alexandre Pantoja (36, Brazil). The two met at UFC 323 last December, when an arm injury to Pantoja (30-6) allowed Van (17-2) to claim the belt. Both fighters are eager to settle the score decisively this time.
The undercard for UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2 begins at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20, with the main card following at 10 a.m., both broadcast live on Tving.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
