In the main event of UFC 310, Alexandre Pantoja did what was expected of Alexandre Pantoja; walk through the fire and retain his flyweight championship with another slick submission.
While the flyweight champion's post-fight callout may have already been rejected by the 125-pound GOAT, 'The Cannibal' also teased that he has one eye on the division above him.
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images
Alexandre Pantoja teases move to bantamweight after FW GOAT rejects offer
In last night's main event of UFC 310, Alexandre Pantoja retained his flyweight championship title in impressive fashion, submitting promotional newcomer Kai Asakura via a second-round RNC for the 11th victory of his career.
Speaking to Joe Rogan in the octagon, Pantoja opted not to call out any active UFC flyweight, instead focusing on the consensus biggest 125lber in history, Demetrious Johnson.
“I'm the GOAT here. If you want to prove that you are the GOAT, come back.”
Unfortunately, 'Mighty Mouse' seems to have resisted such a comeback, writing on X: “Guys, I was offered 2 million dollars to fight!! I turned it down. I don't feel like fighting anymore. YouTube video coming soon.
The good news is that Pantoja already has another idea in mind about what his next career move could be; telling McKenzie Pavacich via UFC News that he would be open to a move to big-money bantamweight.
“Demetrious, it's not about the money brother, we're not talking about millions [of dollars] here. We're talking about fighting the best in the world…
“Of course I don't want Dana White to lose any more hair, I don't want to think about that, so I don't know what's next for me. Maybe I'll wait for Merab or Umar, you know?
Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov has just been confirmed for the co-main event of UFC 311 in January 2025, with the pair already getting to work backstage during this week's pre-fight press conference.
A true student of the game, Pantoja would justify this move by explaining that he wants to continue to challenge himself, which is now more than deserved after his third consecutive title defense.
“It's about the challenge [myself]that's why I'm here. I fight for challenges tonight, and that's how I fight all my life, for challenges.
While it would be fascinating to see how Pantoja looks at 135 pounds, the Brazilian acknowledged at the post-fight press conference that such a move could be an eventual prize, rather than an immediate next step.
“I want to keep this division alive, I love all the fighters, I think there is so much excitement in this division right now… That's not something I think about [about] but if that's what the UFC wants, just give me the money.”
With wins over Kape, Royval, Moreno, Erceg and now Asakura under his belt – who would you like to see Alexandre Pantoja fight next?
Related posts
Comments