There are levels to the fight game, and Alexandre Pantoja proved that to Kai Kara-France at UFC 317. The New Zealand fighter showed a lot of promise in his previous fights, but he could not match up to the reigning champion, who registered his eighth win in a row. But despite the two-year-long championship reign, UFC legend Chael Sonnen has disputed Pantoja’s admission into the main event spot.

Alexandre Pantoja, ranked fifth in the pound-for-pound rankings, has injected a new level of interest in the flyweight division among fans. Let’s not forget that Dana White once considered shutting down the flyweight champion, which is what he did to the women’s featherweight division, but Pantoja’s dominance has sparked a new life into that division. It’s been quite an inspirational journey for ‘The Cannibal’, who once worked as an Uber EATS driver but is now one of the best fighters in all of mixed martial arts, leading Chael Sonnen to praise the Brazilian native.

“When I see Pantoja on the ground, he’s getting all these finishes, and you might come away thinking he’s a jiu-jitsu ace. But he’s softening those guys up, man,” Chael Sonnen stated on the Good Guy/Bad Guy show. “I like that he’s trying to help that entire division… He’s lifting up an entire division that, at one time, was rumored to be cut. He’s now a star.”

Chael Sonnen also praised Alexandre Pantoja’s willingness to take on any and all comers, from Kai Asakura, a newcomer, to Brandon Moreno, a decorated flyweight fighter. However, ‘The American Gangster’ isn’t convinced that ‘The Cannibal’s fights are main event worthy, even though these are the fights that a champion should be competing in.“He’s going to be a co-main eventer. Even his next fight with [Joshua] Van, these aren’t main event fights yet, but they’re big fights. And, they’re good fights, and they are right fights,” the UFC legend added.

Well, main event fights need stars and top drawers, which not only include the champions, but also the challengers. In the case of Alexandre Pantoja, that has not been the case. But Pantoja has had his chance to compete in a PPV main event twice in his career, at UFC 301 and UFC 310, but that did not receive the kind of response that other PPV main events do.

However, there is a way for Alexandre Pantoja to get to the main event, and that’s only if he moves up on weight class to fight Merab Dvalishvili. However, the flyweight champion seems to be pretty focused on the task at hand, which is to continue fighting in the 125lbs division.

No main event and no bantamweight move because Alexandre Pantoja is happy in flyweight

Alexandre Pantoja is laser-focused on his weight class. He shared that fans frequently approach him, suggesting he should consider moving up in weight after his impressive reign over the flyweight division. The Brazilian firmly dismissed that notion, asserting that his division is filled with fighters capable of delivering thrilling matchups for the audience, and he is eager to take on every single one of them.

“People say, ‘You need to move on to bantamweight’ and no way, man. You have so many entertaining fights here. Joshua Van, that’s crazy… Of course, you have Kyoji [Horiguchi], you have some good names, Manel Kape’s there,” said Alexandre Pantoja before UFC 317. “I want to fight with the best guys in the world, that’s what I like. That’s it.”

Alright then. Alexandre Pantoja is at a pivotal point in his career, and it might be time for him to consider moving up for increased earnings and more competitive matchups. He’s a man of his word, fully committed to his goals and unwavering in the face of external pressures or opinions about him. Do you honestly believe that none of his fights deserve to be in the spotlight as a main event? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!