“This is the UFC level. When the Octagon is locked, this is my town, this is my city,” declared UFC flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja last year. At UFC 309, many expected a serious challenge for the reigning champion when former RIZIN star Kai Asakura made his promotional debut at UFC 310. Some even viewed Asakura as a potential kryptonite for the Brazilian. But under the bright lights of the T-Mobile Arena, it was ‘The Cannibal’ who delivered the defining moment.

He submitted Asakura and reminded the world—and every other promotion—what the UFC level truly looks like. Now, after a six-month break, Alexandre Pantoja returns to the very same venue for a title defense against #4-ranked contender Kai Kara-France—a bout that marks his fourth title defense. Riding a seven-fight win streak, ‘The Cannibal’ has nearly swept the division clean for Dana White & Co. Yet, ‘Don’t Blink’ stands as the last real injection of new blood into the flyweight title scene.

And notably, it wasn’t the UFC that lobbied for this matchup—it was Kai Kara-France himself who stepped forward to chase the challenge. In the latest UFC 317 Countdown video, Pantoja recalled the moment the Kiwian made his intentions known. Speaking on the message he received shortly after his win over Asakura, Alexandre Pantoja said,

“I want to be the best flyweight. I want to be the best fighter in the world. That’s the only thing that passes through my head. After my fight in December with Kai Asakura, Kai Kara-France was one of the first DMs I got on Instagram. He said, ‘Congrats—and hey, I’m next.’ At that point, I really thought, He’s the next. I want to prove in that fight—against Kara-France—that I’m still the best fighter in the world.”

Kai Kara-France is a patriotic New Zealander who trains at the famous City Kickboxing gym with former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. At 32, “Don’t Blink” comes into this title fight with a record of 1–2 in his last three fights, having lost to Amir Albazi and Brandon Moreno. But his win over Steve Erceg at UFC 305 in Perth gave him another chance to earn gold.

Even if he is doing well, both fans and oddsmakers still think the reigning champion will win. He is said to be nearing the end of his time at 125 pounds and is thinking about moving up to the bantamweight division.

Alexandre Pantoja eyes bantamweight move to face Umar Nurmagomedov or Merab Dvalishvili

Who’s chasing the dream of becoming a two-division champion? Alexandre Pantoja has now firmly entered that conversation. Nearing a decade with the UFC, the Brazilian flyweight standout has carved out an impressive resume—13 wins and just 3 losses across more than eight years in the Octagon. Now preparing for another title defense against Kai Kara-France, the Brazilian had already dropped hints about his next big move.

After his victory over Kai Asakura at UFC 309, he wasted no time making headlines. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Pantoja didn’t hold back—declaring himself the GOAT and calling for the biggest names in the game. “I’m the GOAT in here. If you want to prove you’re the GOAT, come back,” he said, throwing down the gauntlet to flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson, urging him to come out of retirement.

“Demetrious, it’s not about the money brother, we don’t talk about millions [of dollars] here. We’re talking about fighting the best in the world…” Not stopping there, Pantoja shifted his sights toward the bantamweight division—teasing a potential move up in weight and naming two of the division’s most dangerous contenders, “Of course, I don’t want Dana White to lose more hair, I don’t want to be thinking about that, so I don’t know what’s next for me. Maybe I’ll wait for Merab or Umar, you know?”

Now that he’s already shown his domination at 125, the big question is: what’s next for the reigning flyweight champion? Should Pantoja stay in the division and keep his title, or should he move up to bantamweight and try to beat himself?