In the aftermath of UFC 317, Alexandre Pantoja would put on a dominant display against Kai Kara-France, choking out the Kiwi in the third round. In the post-fight presser, the Brazilian would go on to explain his mindset in the ring when he’s about to face off with his opponents. As Pantoja believes, his key to success is his challenger mentality.
“When I step into the octagon, I’m no longer the champion of the world—I’m the challenger. I have the opportunity to get this belt with a challenger spirit, but with a champion mentality. I’m a regular guy. I train hard every day in the gym. God gives me a gift—I learn fast, I try to be a good guy. The most important thing is, the people have this belt. It’s like, you know, only one can grab the hammer—only one can grab this belt. That’s why some champions just grab this belt one time, because they don’t deserve it. I don’t want to say I’m the best guy in the world, but if you want good things in life, you need to be a good person.”
With this mentality of outworking his opponents both in and out of the ring, Pantoja has a killer edge over his opponents, who not only struggle with his lethal submission grappling. But also with his come-forward style of looking to strike and take down all comers, secure his signature rear-naked choke.
Alexandre Pantoja’s pound-for-pound status is undeniable.
Alexandre Pantoja has voiced his frustration with his lack of representation at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, as he believes he deserves a place among the UFC’s very best with the likes of Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. With his continued dominance, he has a claim to being one of the best flyweights ever to do it. It seems that Alexandre Pantoja will have to prove himself once again to earn his rank among the hall of greats.
