Patricio Pitbull vs. Dooho Choi: UFC 331 AI Prediction, Results and Highlights
Results and highlights are forthcoming. This article will be updated after the official result, while the original pre-fight prediction below will remain unchanged.
Patricio Pitbull has accomplished far more over the course of his career than Dooho Choi.
Right now, Choi is unquestionably carrying the better momentum.
That contrast makes their featherweight fight at UFC 331 one of the more interesting matchups on Saturday’s main card at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Pitbull enters as the UFC’s No. 15-ranked featherweight at 37-9, while Choi is 17-4-1 and riding three consecutive knockout victories.
Athlon’s living UFC 2026 schedule tracks the full card, while UFC lists Pitbull-Choi as the third fight on the UFC 331 main card. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Pitbull, 39, is the former two-division Bellator champion whose career includes wins over Michael Chandler, AJ McKee, Juan Archuleta and Daniel Straus. He owns 12 knockout wins, 12 submissions and 12 first-round finishes.
His UFC run has been much less dominant.
Pitbull is 1-2 through three Octagon appearances. He lost decisions to Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico around a unanimous-decision victory over Dan Ige. Pico most recently outpointed him at UFC 327, winning 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 after increasingly controlling the striking exchanges.
Choi, meanwhile, has suddenly found the best sustained run of his UFC career.
“The Korean Superboy” stopped Bill Algeo in 2024, Nate Landwehr later that year and Daniel Santos in May 2026. His victory over Santos came by second-round TKO after a body shot, giving Choi a third straight finish and extending his unbeaten streak to four fights.
That May fight also earned Fight of the Night honors.
A.I. Prediction Summary
The Athlon Sports MMA Team prediction model evaluates seven categories and does not consider betting odds.
Featherweight bout. Three rounds.
The Model Read
Pitbull’s greatest advantage is obvious: experience.
Few active featherweights have seen as many different styles, championship rounds and high-level opponents. His ability to counter, threaten submissions and mix takedowns into exchanges makes him a more complete fighter than his UFC record alone suggests.
UFC Stats lists Pitbull with an 88% takedown-defense rate, while his career résumé includes 12 submissions. His UFC striking numbers, however, have been far less encouraging: 2.68 significant strikes landed per minute, compared with 4.23 absorbed.
That is where Choi’s current form becomes difficult to ignore.
Choi lands 4.67 significant strikes per minute at 56% accuracy. He is also four inches taller and owns a three-inch reach advantage.
Those numbers fit what Choi has shown during his current run.
He is no longer simply hunting one huge right hand. Against Nate Landwehr, Choi mixed body and head attacks with calf kicks and takedowns before eventually finishing from top position. Against Santos, he stayed composed through a high-output first round, increased the pressure as Santos slowed and ended the fight with a body shot.
Pitbull still owns more ways to win.
If Choi becomes overly aggressive, Pitbull remains an excellent counter striker. He can also change the fight with wrestling or force Choi to work from positions he would rather avoid.
The issue for the model is pace.
Pitbull has gone the distance in all three UFC appearances. Choi has finished three straight opponents.
UFC’s own UFC 331 preview described Pitbull as an experienced, steady presence on the edge of the rankings while pointing directly to Choi’s current hot streak.
The Prediction
Category / Weight | Patricio Pitbull | Dooho Choi |
|---|---|---|
Style — 25% | 88 | 92 |
Recent — 20% | 78 | 97 |
Resume — 15% | 99 | 84 |
Damage — 15% | 89 | 94 |
Weight — 10% | 92 | 92 |
Cardio — 10% | 88 | 91 |
Intangibles — 5% | 97 | 93 |
WEIGHTED SCORE | 88.7 | 92.1 |
Prediction | |
|---|---|
Pick | Dooho Choi |
Projected result | TKO, Round 2 |
Winner confidence | 64% |
Method confidence | 53% |
Most likely alternative | Patricio Pitbull by decision |
Deciding factor | Choi’s current offensive pace, accuracy and physical advantages against a Pitbull who has struggled to consistently initiate offense in the UFC. |
This prediction is not a dismissal of Pitbull’s skill.
His countering, grappling experience and ability to make tactical adjustments are exactly why Choi cannot simply turn Saturday’s fight into a reckless firefight.
But the model places significant weight on what each fighter has shown recently.
Pitbull has won one of his first three UFC fights and was comprehensively outworked by Pico in April. Choi has finished three consecutive opponents and has looked progressively more diverse offensively.
The veteran owns the résumé.
The Korean Superboy gets the model’s pick.
Athlon also has coverage of the additional $50,000 UFC 331 “Proper Chaos” bonus available to one fighter on Saturday’s card.
Prediction Model Formula
Each fighter receives a 1–100 score in seven categories:
Category | Weight |
|---|---|
Style | 25% |
Recent Form | 20% |
Resume | 15% |
Damage | 15% |
Weight | 10% |
Cardio | 10% |
Intangibles | 5% |
For additional Athlon MMA analytics, see Brian Mazique’s F.I.G.H.T. System glossary.
More MMA News
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- UFC 331 Has a Title Rematch, 5-Round Co-Main and an Olympic Champion — How High Is the HYPE?
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.