UFC 317 turned into the spectacle fans had hoped for! Sure, Ilia Topuria starching Charles Oliveira in the first round to raise two belts stole the main spotlight. But Alexandre Pantoja, making quick work of Kai Kara-France in the co-main, also grabbed plenty of attention. ‘The Cannibal’ now holds four straight title defenses on his resume. Yet somehow, the flyweights still struggle to get the respect they deserve.

The 125 lbs king once again showcased his absolute mad skills against a dangerous challenger like Kai Kara-France. Fully aware that he was facing one of the best punchers in the flyweight division, Pantoja marched forward and used his world-class BJJ to dominate Kai in almost every area. Simply put, it was a classic performance! Still, the flyweight champ always seems to fly under the radar. 

That pretty much gets confirmed when you take a look at the pound-for-pound rankings. Pantoja currently sits at No. 9, even behind Alex Pereira, who’s no longer a champion. ‘The Cannibal’ didn’t shy away from addressing this at the post-fight press conference either, saying, “It no make sense if I’m not No. 2.” And honestly, looking at the numbers, he’s got a point. But that’s not all. 

Many believe the flyweight champ still doesn’t get the appreciation he truly deserves from the fans as well. Although slowly but surely, Pantoja has been winning people over with one dominant performance after another. Influencer Nina Marie Daniele appealed to the audience on her Instagram story, writing, “Appreciate the GREATS while they are still here! Alexandre Pantoja is one of the best ever to do it.”

That’s true! Alexandre Pantoja is a generational talent. Before him, Demetrious Johnson was the only one who faced similar criticism—extremely mesmerizing to watch inside the cage, but not quite as popular among the wider MMA audience. However, when ‘Mighty Mouse’ ended his UFC journey, he was finally hailed as one of the greatest of all time, some even putting him above Jon Jones. 

‘The Cannibal’ often finds his name mentioned in the same conversation as ‘DJ’, but that’s a long shot for now. The 125-pound king still has a long way to go before anyone can draw that kind of conclusion. With Joshua Van emerging on the horizon as the next top contender, Pantoja revealed a new mindset as he looks to push forward with his championship legacy.

Alexandre Pantoja wants to fight Joshua Van with a challenger mentality 

Joshua Van emerged as the hot number one contender after waging a literal war against Brandon Royval at UFC 317. ‘The Fearless’ lived up to his name, pressing forward, clipping the former title challenger, and earning a unanimous decision win. Later that night, Van faced off with Alexandre Pantoja following ‘The Cannibal’s’ dominant co-main event performance, setting the stage for their future clash. With a new challenge on the horizon, Pantoja feels he’ll need a fresh mindset to secure another championship victory.

At the UFC 317 post-fight presser, he said, “He got this opportunity to fight the No. 1 contender, Royval, and did an amazing job. Who can do that? Now, I think that’s my toughest challenge. Monday, I’m back to the gym. My coaches know that. I’m no more the champion of the world. I’m the challenger. I know who is my opponent and I know what I want. I want this belt again.”

For a champion like Alexandre Pantoja, maintaining a hunter’s mentality will definitely help keep the motivation high in the flyweight division. Besides Joshua Van, there are also other rising contenders like Manel Kape, who could present serious challenges down the line. With fresh names emerging and hungry fighters eyeing the throne.

It’ll be interesting to see how the 125-pound division shapes up in the future. With that being said, who do you see giving Pantoja a run for his money in the flyweight division? Let us know in the comments below!