Former UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is healthy, motivated, and determined to reclaim the title he lost under unfortunate circumstances.
Pantoja has been sidelined since December, when his flyweight title defense against Joshua Van at UFC 323 ended in heartbreaking fashion. Just seconds into the co-main event, Van caught one of Pantoja’s kicks, and the Brazilian suffered a serious arm injury while attempting to roll away from the exchange. The injury forced an abrupt end to the fight and crowned Van the new UFC flyweight champion.
While Alexandre Pantoja focused on recovery, Van wasted no time establishing himself as champion. He successfully defended the belt in May with a fifth-round stoppage victory over Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328, further strengthening his position atop the division.
Now fully recovered, Pantoja says he is ready to begin his journey back to the top.
“I’m ready,” Pantoja told MMA Fighting. “After December, what happened to my arm, two days after that, I went to the gym and started training with just one arm. That’s who I am.
“I’m not done. I’m not done. I have so much to conquer. I have so much to prove. And when you have the belt, your words mean more. I want to take the belt again. I want to be UFC champion one more time and keep talking about good things, about the world and things I saw in my life, make people happy. That’s what I want.”
During his absence, the flyweight division continued to evolve. Alongside Van’s successful title defense, Manel Kape scored a statement knockout victory over Kyoji Horiguchi, while Brandon Royval earned an impressive win over Lone’er Kavanagh.
Rather than feeling left behind, Alexandre Pantoja believes the division has become stronger and more exciting.
“Real good fight. Real good fight,” Pantoja said of Van’s victory over Taira. “It showed a lot of high-level skills.
“Don’t get me wrong, on the same night, you had the Chimaev and Strickland fight, and you could see the difference in pace and skill level. That’s good because it proves to everybody that the flyweight division is one of the most entertaining divisions in the UFC.
“You see Manel Kape with Kyoji Horiguchi. You see Brandon Royval. All these guys put on a very good show for everybody, and I think right now, flyweight is better than ever. I think what happened with me last year made the division more exciting. Now I have the opportunity to take over and beat everybody again.”
One performance that particularly caught Pantoja’s attention was Kape’s recent victory over Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119.
Following the win, Kape made his case for a title shot, but Alexandre Pantoja believes the division’s immediate focus should be on settling unfinished business between himself and Van.
“Beautiful performance,” Pantoja said. “I think Kyoji Horiguchi got very close to winning the fight, but Manel is the real deal. Manel Kape, for me, is one of the most dangerous fights in the world at flyweight. He’s the next contender.”
Despite his respect for the current champion, Pantoja remains convinced that the first fight with Van left unanswered questions.
The former champion has praised Van’s success since capturing the title, but he still wants the opportunity to prove who the better fighter truly is.
“Of course, I have unfinished business with Joshua Van,” Pantoja said. “As an athlete, I know I lost the fight. That happened.
“But as a man, I don’t think he beat me. I’m still here. I’m ready to fight. I’m in amazing shape. Let’s see what happens next.”
With the flyweight division thriving and several contenders making their move, Alexandre Pantoja believes the timing is perfect for his return. Whether the UFC grants him an immediate rematch or requires one more victory before another title opportunity, the former champion has made one thing clear, his mission is to reclaim the belt and prove that his reign is far from finished.
