Alexandre Pantoja needs glory not only for himself, however for all the flyweight division.
The 125-pound champion efficiently defended his title for a fourth consecutive time Saturday at UFC 317 with a dominant submission win over Kai Kara-France. Pantoja’s legendary toughness and elite grappling have been on full show as he waded by means of the challenger’s greatest photographs to impose his will on the battle. Kara-France survived till Spherical 3, when Pantoja locked in a fight-ending rear-naked choke.
Heading into Saturday, Pantoja was tied with bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili for the No. 3 spot within the MMA Combating Pound-for-Pound Rankings; now, he believes there’s just one title that deserves to be above him.
“It no make sense if I’m not No. 2,” Pantoja mentioned on the UFC 317 post-fight press convention. “I’m simply behind Islam Makhachev. Doesn’t make sense. 5 fights for a title. Eight victories on this streak. Second submission, 4 title protection, numbers don’t lie. The one man I’m accepting [ahead of me] is Islam Makhachev as a result of he has the numbers.
“I attempt to perceive the pound-for-pound rankings. I believe it’s extra victories, perhaps it’s victories with ranked guys, perhaps—I don’t know, guys suppose I have to beat somebody such as you put Jack Della Maddalena in entrance of me. You suppose I have to beat Jack Della Maddalena to get his place? That’s loopy. I believe it’s time to respect flyweight extra. Joshua Van, Brandon Royval, made perhaps the Combat of the Evening tonight. I make an excellent battle with Kai Kara-France. I believe it’s time for folks to alter their thoughts. Flyweight is a really entertaining division and I believe issues want to alter.”
One battle earlier than Pantoja ran by means of Kara-France, high flyweight contenders Joshua Van and Brandon Royval threw down for 3 rounds. In the long run, Van gained a unanimous resolution, however each males earned Combat of the Evening bonus cash for placing on what might find yourself being essentially the most thrilling bout of 2025.
Pantoja believes the 125-pound division has by no means been extra thrilling, it doesn’t matter what some armchair consultants must say about it.
“I believe little by little we modify [the perception of the flyweight division],” Pantoja mentioned. “Fights like that, Joshua Van and Royval. My battle with Kai Kara-France. Fights like [Brandon] Moreno and [Amir] Albazi. Now we have so many good fighters. I see the final 12 months, 2024, we had a whole lot of principal occasions with the flyweights, and I believe issues begin to change. That’s so cool.
“I see on YouTube and Instagram, folks saying dangerous issues about my division. I don’t have to say something concerning the haters. Hardcore followers go and say, ‘Hey, shut your mouth, informal.’ Folks notice how good this division is true now and simply us can change that. I believe as a result of that complete division respects one another, it’s not dangerous blood with us.”
Pantoja has now gained eight straight fights and his UFC run contains victories over Kara-France, Royval, Moreno, Alex Perez, Manel Kape, and quite a few different high contenders. Although he has nothing however respect for Demetrious Johnson, extensively thought-about the best flyweight of all time, Pantoja feels the division has extra depth and variety than ever earlier than.
“Joshua Van is so good, who can say totally different?” Pantoja mentioned. “He beat Royval. I believe Royval made some errors with him, tried to hurry an excessive amount of the battle, didn’t attempt to grapple lots. And concerning the match with [Demetrious Johnson], I mentioned earlier than I actually need to battle with him. He mentioned he’s retired, he’s not coming again. Perhaps it’s not good for him to come back again as a result of the flyweight division proper now’s so totally different. This excessive stage is totally different.
“I respect all the blokes opening the doorways for us however proper now you see, particularly in my division, you have got the entire world in the identical division. High 10, you have got guys from the entire world: Japan. Africa. Brazil. Russia. Australia. New Zealand. That’s so wonderful to be a part of that.”
