Pitbull vs Doo Ho Choi: A Must-Win Test at UFC 331

Patricio Pitbull faces a must-win situation against Doo Ho Choi at UFC 331 on Saturday, September 19, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with the former Bellator champion looking to avoid a third straight promotional loss.

Pitbull enters the featherweight bout 1-2 since signing with the UFC in 2025. He dropped a unanimous decision to Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314, bounced back with a decision win over Dan Ige at UFC 318, then lost another unanimous decision to Aaron Pico at UFC 327. Those results are a sharp contrast to his run in Bellator, where he collected multiple featherweight titles and built one of the most decorated resumes in the promotion's history. At 39, he's working with a much shorter runway than he had during his championship years, and a loss here would leave him 1-3 in the UFC with real questions about his path forward at featherweight.

Choi brings the opposite momentum into the cage. The Korean Superboy has won three straight, including knockout finishes over Bill Algeo and Nate Landwehr, continuing a resurgence after a long layoff. He's built a reputation on aggressive striking and a willingness to engage, which is exactly the kind of pace that has given some of the UFC's other established featherweights trouble.

What's at Stake for Pitbull at UFC 331

A loss to Choi would be Pitbull's third defeat in four UFC appearances, a mark that would complicate his standing in a deep 145-pound division regardless of what he accomplished in Bellator. A win would let him build on the Ige result and give him something he hasn't had since arriving in the UFC: consecutive positive results. Neither outcome erases what he did outside the organization, but the UFC ledger is what matters for booking and ranking purposes going forward, and Pitbull has been open about wanting this fight to reflect the fighter who once ran through Bellator's featherweight division.

Styles and the Betting Line

Choi's aggression is the central question of the matchup. If he can set his range early and keep the pressure on for three rounds, he creates the kind of high-volume, high-finish-rate fight that plays to his recent form. Pitbull's counterstriking and grappling give him a different route, and if he can drag the pace down or find opportunities to change levels, he can limit how often Choi gets to operate on his terms.

The betting market has sided clearly with the trend. Sportsbooks currently have Choi favored in the range of roughly -250 to -275, with Pitbull sitting out near +200 to +226 depending on the book. That price reflects Choi's finishing streak and Pitbull's recent skid more than any clear technical mismatch, and bettors weighing Pitbull's live-underdog appeal should note his counterpunching and grappling still give him paths to win rounds even if he's not the favorite to finish the fight outright.

UFC 331 is headlined by Alexandre Pantoja defending against Joshua Van, with the Pitbull-Choi featherweight bout slotted on the main card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Patricio Pitbull's fight against Doo Ho Choi considered a must-win at UFC 331?

Patricio Pitbull is 1-2 in the UFC since 2025, and a loss to Doo Ho Choi would drop him to 1-3, raising serious questions about his future in the featherweight division despite his decorated Bellator career.

Who is favored in the Patricio Pitbull vs Doo Ho Choi odds at UFC 331?

Doo Ho Choi is the betting favorite over Patricio Pitbull, with sportsbooks pricing Choi around -250 to -275 and Pitbull as an underdog near +200 to +226 as of fight week.

What is Doo Ho Choi's current form heading into UFC 331?

Doo Ho Choi enters UFC 331 on a three-fight winning streak that includes knockout wins over Bill Algeo and Nate Landwehr, continuing a resurgence after a long layoff.