UFC Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is fighting not only for his own success but also to elevate the standing of the entire 125-pound division.
Pantoja recently secured his fourth straight title defense at UFC 317, delivering a dominant submission victory over Kai Kara-France. He demonstrated his renowned toughness and superior grappling, enduring Kara-France`s offense before securing a fight-ending rear-naked choke in the third round.
Following this victory, Pantoja believes his performance warrants a higher position in the pound-for-pound rankings. Currently tied with bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, Pantoja argues only Islam Makhachev should be ranked above him.
“It makes no sense if I’m not ranked number two,” Pantoja stated at the post-fight press conference. “I should be just behind Islam Makhachev. It doesn`t make sense otherwise. Five title fight appearances, an eight-fight win streak, two submissions in title bouts, and four title defenses – the numbers speak for themselves. The only person I accept being ahead of me is Islam Makhachev because his record supports it.”
He continued, expressing confusion about ranking criteria. “I try to understand how the pound-for-pound rankings work. Perhaps it’s based on total victories, or maybe wins against ranked opponents. I don’t know. Do people think I need to beat someone like Jack Della Maddalena to earn a higher spot? That seems illogical. I believe it`s time for the flyweight division to receive more respect. You saw the performances tonight – Joshua Van and Brandon Royval potentially delivering the Fight of the Night, my strong performance against Kai Kara-France. It’s time for perceptions to change. Flyweight is a incredibly entertaining division, and I think the recognition needs to catch up.”
Just before Pantoja`s title defense, top flyweight contenders Joshua Van and Brandon Royval engaged in a thrilling three-round battle. While Van ultimately won a unanimous decision, both fighters received Fight of the Night bonuses for a bout considered a strong contender for most exciting fight of 2025.
Pantoja firmly believes the 125-pound division has never been more exciting, regardless of criticism from some observers.
“I think we are gradually changing the perception of the flyweight division,” Pantoja commented. “Fights like Van vs. Royval, my fight with Kai Kara-France, or past bouts like Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi – we have so many high-caliber fighters. Looking back at the past year, 2024, we had numerous flyweight main events, and I feel things are beginning to shift. That`s very encouraging.”
He addressed online negativity towards the division. “I see comments on YouTube and Instagram criticizing my division. I don`t need to respond to the haters directly. Hardcore fans are stepping up and telling them to be quiet. People are starting to recognize the high quality of this division right now, and only we, the fighters, can make that change happen. I think it helps that there’s a general respect among fighters in this division; there isn`t much bad blood.”
Pantoja’s win streak now stands at eight, featuring notable victories over fighters like Kara-France, Royval, Moreno, Alex Perez, Manel Kape, and other top contenders. While holding immense respect for Demetrious Johnson, often considered the greatest flyweight ever, Pantoja contends the current division possesses unparalleled depth and global diversity.
“Joshua Van is clearly very skilled; who can dispute that?” Pantoja remarked. “He defeated Royval. I think Royval might have made some tactical errors, perhaps rushing too much and not utilizing his grappling sufficiently. Regarding a match with Demetrious Johnson, as I’ve said before, I would have genuinely wanted that fight. He’s stated he`s retired and not returning. Maybe it’s for the best that he doesn’t come back, because the flyweight division today is completely different. The current level of competition is much higher.”
He concluded by highlighting the international presence in the division. “I respect all the pioneers who opened doors for us, but look at my division now – you have talent from all corners of the world. The Top 10 includes fighters from Japan, Africa, Brazil, Russia, Australia, New Zealand. It`s truly amazing to be a part of that.”
