Alexandre Pantoja is all set to take on the formidable Steve Erceg at UFC 301. The event being the UFC’s 12th visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, makes it even more exciting, as Pantoja would defend his title against Erceg right in his homeland. ‘The Cannibal’ currently boasts a 5-fight win streak, with his last victory over Brandon Rovyal earning mindblowing reactions from Joe Rogan. However, the challenger to the flyweight title has an even longer win streak.

Commanding an impressive eleven-fight win streak, the ‘Astroboy’ poses a great threat to the Brazilian’s championship belt. Aside from the fights and the drama inside the Octagon, what excites the fans and motivates the crowd to send cheers? You would be absolutely right if you guessed ‘walkout songs’. Let’s talk about the 125-pound division top seat’s choice of entrance music.

Alexandre Pantoja’s iconic entrance track by 50 Cent

Growing up in a single-parent household, the UFC flyweight champion has had a pretty tough life. Having dealt with the troubles of poverty, Pantoja reflects on the struggles of his life to becoming the UFC champ with his walkout song, ‘Many Men (Wish Death)’ by the famed rapper, ‘50 Cents’. The powerful song from 50 Cent’s iconic album, ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ from 2003, became quite popular among youngsters trying to motivate themselves. It seems like Pantoja was also one of the many. 

Following the events of UFC 290, Pantoja let the fighting community in with some revelations about his household struggles. In the post-fight interview, he said, “I leave everything I have. My mum, take care of me and my two brothers alone. You know, now Dad, are you proud of me Dad? You proud of me?” 

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The fighter has quite a difficult relationship with his father and just wants his love. Pantoja fought tooth and nail against life to be where he is today. He became the champion in the UFC’s flyweight division and has become a celebrated figure. Without a doubt, he has successfully overcome the hardest phases of his life. Therefore, many would agree that the theme from ‘Many Men’ suits well and perfectly hypes up the arena as the champion walks in.

Alexandre Pantoja reveals the story behind his UFC 301 match-up

Although the upcoming title event at Rio de Janeiro has been raising the excitement of the fight fans, it has also been subjected to side-eyes. Steve Erceg got a title shot despite being a relatively unknown fighter in the UFC. Talking to UFC Brasil on this topic, Pantoja explained, “It’s funny, because it’s practically what I asked for. I was joking that I wanted a kind of unknown opponent and this guy comes to me, who is difficult… I even said, ‘I hope this guy goes up in weight because he’s huge’ as a joke”.

Rovyal was supposed to be the challenger to the flyweight belt. However, the Brazilian’s wish to fight someone ‘fresh’ got him a bout against Erceg. But Erceg isn’t someone the champ can take lightly.

Pantoja claimed that he was indeed tougher than Rovyal and Brandon Moreno. “He’s a very tough opponent. I believe that, at this moment, he is more difficult than [Brandon] Royval, than [Brandon] Moreno, because he is a guy who comes from behind, with nothing to lose. He is #10 in the ranking, he comes fresh in the weight class. The only thing against it is that I think I have more experience of fighting. I believe this will be used by me in the octagon,” ‘The Cannibal’ said.

Nevertheless, the fighters haven’t failed to keep the fans excited. What do you think about the matchup? Do you believe the underdog, Erceg, could claim the flyweight title? Let us know in the comments down below.