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5 Years After Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC Star Drops a Daring Claim Ahead of Title Fight – “I Am Going to Smash…”

Published 05/30/2023, 3:13 AM EDT

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UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will be putting his title on the line against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290. It will be their third fight under the UFC banner as ‘The Assassin Baby’ will look forward to breaking his duck against the Brazilian. However, Pantoja is not taking this fight lightly. He wants to dominate Moreno by channeling his inner Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Moreno and Pantoja were introduced by the UFC in ‘The Ultimate Fighter 24’. Both fighters found themselves on the opposing team led by Henry Cejudo and Joseph Benavidez. Moreno is headed into this fight after winning the title against Deiveson Figueredo at UFC 283, where the Brazilian crowd treated him rather poorly.

Alexandre Pantoja wants to replicate Khabib Nurmagomedov

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‘The Cannibal’ Pantoja wants to totally dominate ‘The Assassin Baby’ at UFC 290. He talked about what Khabib Nurmagomedov did to Conor McGregor at UFC 229 and wants to replicate that kind of performance at the T-Mobile Arena on July 8. In an exclusive interview with ‘MMA Junkie’, Pantoja said, “I am going to smash Brandon Moreno. I like when Khabib said that to Conor McGregor, ‘I am going to smash you, boy.’ That’s what’s going to happen on July 8.”

 

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Pantoja also mentioned that he wants to fight the same way he did at UFC Fight Night 129 in Chile, racking up a unanimous decision win against Moreno. He also talked about how he defeated Moreno after just three months of training at the American Top Team. “I come for total domination like I did in Chile. I arrived at [American Top Team] for three months.”

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Pantoja claims that he’s changed since his last fight against the flyweight champion

The 2nd-ranked flyweight stated that he now has five years of experience at the ATT. He has been training with the same coaches and claims to have improved significantly. Pantoja said, “Now, I have five years here. I have trained for five years at the same gym with my same coaches, ‘Parrumpa’ and ‘Macarrao.'”

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Alexandre Pantoja has heard many talks about the fact that Brandon Moreno has improved as a fighter. But people don’t know that ‘The Cannibal’ has also improved over the last five years with the ATT. “A lot of people say, ‘Hey, Moreno is not the same guy,’ but I am [also] not the same guy.”

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The careers of Moreno and Pantoja have been different. Pantoja has two victories over the reigning flyweight champion. Both fighters have had success in the octagon, but ‘The Assassin Baby’s underdog career trajectory has earned him a spot on the UFC roster as one of the most popular fighters.

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Written by:

Himanga Mahanta

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Himanga Mahanta is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He has a passion for combat sports and a deep understanding of the intricacies of MMA. With his expertise and extensive knowledge, Himanga provides in-depth coverage of UFC events and fighters, bringing his readers closer to the action and the athletes they admire.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu