About six months from his last fight in June, on December 6th, Alexandre Pantoja will make his highly anticipated return as the co-main event of UFC 323. He’ll defend his flyweight title against Joshua Van. So far, ‘The Cannibal’ has dominated nearly everyone who’s dared to challenge him for the 125 lbs crown. But this time, his 24-year-old opponent has been gaining some serious backing from fans who believe the Burmese title contender could pull off the upset at the year’s final pay-per-view event.

However, the flyweight champion seems absolutely certain that his reign isn’t ending anytime soon—especially not at the hands of someone like Van. Perhaps that’s why he’s exuding so much confidence. In an interview with Home of Fight, Alexandre Pantoja displayed another level of self-assurance, even urging fans to bet on him. His reasoning? He believes Van will be an easy opponent at UFC 323, confidently predicting a rear-naked choke victory to retain his title—while telling fans who back him to make what he called “easy money.”

“Joshua, he’s the next. When the date of fight coming, it’s gonna be 50/50 percent, you know. Make your bets. If I can bet, but I can’t, why not submission bro? Easy money. I thinking about the guys in the last fights, last my two fight, see the odds, Pantoja finish with submission, rear-naked choke, a lot of money, bro,” Pantoja predicted. When the host added, “Free money,” the flyweight champion replied, “If I can bet, Pantoja vs Joshua, rear-naked choke, I don’t know the round, but that’s a good bet.”

Well, Pantoja has definitely picked up the role of an assertive champion, which is quite the contrast to his usually humble self. But there’s actually a reason behind it. At UFC 317, Joshua Van showcased tremendous striking against Brandon Royval, a performance worthy of earning him a title shot. Still, there’s some mystery surrounding ‘The Fearless’ ground game, which could become a turning factor in their upcoming title fight. And honestly, if Van fails to go toe-to-toe with Pantoja’s grappling, he’ll just be another name added to the Brazilian’s championship run.

Also, according to BetOnline.ag, Pantoja opened as a -245 favorite against Van’s +200 underdog. So, the oddsmakers are clearly siding with the champ to retain his title. However, as the Myanmarese fighter continues to gain momentum as ‘The Cannibal’s toughest challenge, one former UFC flyweight believes there are actually two other fighters who could give Pantoja an even tougher test.

Muhammad Mokaev says there are two better challenges for Alexandre Pantoja in UFC 

After defending his belt for the fourth time, Alexandre Pantoja is gearing up to put his title on the line for the fifth time against Joshua Van at UFC 323. And If he manages to stop yet another challenger, many believe the Brazilian will officially clear out the flyweight division. However, former UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev disagrees. He thinks contenders like Manel Kape and Charles Johnson would give Pantoja a tougher fight, even calling them more formidable than his next opponent.

Mokaev told BloodtyElbow, “I would put them higher than Joshua Van. I mean, not just me, Charles Johnson already knocked out Joshua Van so you’ve already seen the results on the table but Joshua Van stayed consistent and he’s a young fighter. He’s had some knockouts but you also have to give respect to Charles Johnson… Kape and Pantoja already fought and that was a close fight to me.”  

That’s true! Manel Kape has been one of the top contenders in the flyweight division because of impressive performances, and a win over Brandon Royval in his next fight would absolutely put him next in line for a title shot. Meanwhile, Charles Johnson also looked impressive against Loné’r Kavanagh in his last outing. To make things more interesting, both of them have solid ground games, which makes them formidable challenges for Pantoja as well.

But to see those matchups happen, the flyweight champ has to stay true to his words and make a statement in his next fight against Joshua Van. That said, do you think Pantoja will pull off another successful defense, or could this be the end of his legendary title run? Let us know in the comments below.