The UFC pound-for-pound list is supposed to crown the best fighter in the world, regardless of weight. But ask ten fans and you’ll likely hear ten different answers. Fighters themselves? They’ve got their own views, and sometimes they’re not shy about sharing them.

That was the case when Alexandre Pantoja, the reigning flyweight king, joined former UFC star Mike Perry’s ‘Overdogs’ podcast. And when asked about respect in the pound-for-pound conversation, ‘The Cannibal’ didn’t dodge as he stated, “About pound-for-pound, everybody inside the game knows to rank the number one, no doubt.”

But where it gets tricky is what comes next, as he further shared, “Number two position is hard to pick because… two belts, that’s amazing, but I have 4 title defenses too, you know, close to Makhachev. And Merab, I love Merab too, but I have more title defenses.”

The podcast’s co-host, Mac Mally, noted that Merab Dvalishvili himself ranked Pantoja above him. That drew an appreciative response from the flyweight champion as he confessed, “Nice guy man, he understand the game. That’s why I like Merab, he don’t try to be the best guy with the voice, he prove, if he want to pass me, he go there and win more title defenses than what I have.”

For Alexandre Pantoja, the list is clear as he laid it out on the Overdogs podcast by sharing, “But about pound-for-pound, that’s what I think, number 1 Islam Makhachev, number 2, Pantoja, Merab and Topuria.”

However, at the time of writing, the UFC doesn’t quite agree. The official list puts Ilia Topuria at number one. Islam Makhachev sits at number two, followed by Merab Dvalishvili, Khamzat Chimaev, and then Pantoja at number five.

Yet, it’s not the first time Pantoja has pushed back on where he’s placed. After UFC 317, where he dismantled Kai Kara-France before finishing him with a rear-naked choke, he made his stance clear at the post-fight press conference. According to the Brazilian, “My ranking doesn’t make sense. Five title fights, eight-fight win streak, numbers don’t lie. The only guy I accept is Islam Makhachev because he has numbers.”

His frustration boiled over when names like Jack Della Maddalena were ranked above him. “You put Jack Della Maddalena above me? You think I need to beat Jack Della to get his position? It’s time to respect flyweights,” he added.

Alexandre Pantoja’s battle for recognition highlights a bigger truth: flyweights often fight for respect as much as for titles. Despite becoming the second-greatest flyweight in UFC history behind only Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson, ‘The Cannibal’s achievements don’t always translate into top billing. So, will he ever go for a second title to finally shut down the doubters and claim his spot at the top of the P4P list?

Alexandre Pantoja is ready to “roll the dice” against Merab Dvalishvili in the future

Last month, in an interview with ‘Home of Fight’, Alexandre Pantoja made it clear he isn’t ruling out a jump to bantamweight. The flyweight king has dominated his division, but he’s aware that respect in the P4P conversation doesn’t come from staying comfortable. He confessed, “That fight makes sense right now, why not? It’s gonna be amazing, but the problem is, why do I need to go to 135?”

He’s almost cleared out his division with names in his resume, including Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura, Kai Kara-France, Manel Kape, and Alex Perez. Yet he recognizes the rising threats lurking just behind as he further shared, “Joshua (Van) have amazing boxing too, amazing skill, good takedown defense – I have very good challengers there.”

But the timing of a potential bantamweight move hinges on Dvalishvili defending his belt against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. However, as Pantoja stated, “Of course, why not think about that (fight)? Roll the dice.”

Staying at flyweight means continuing to crush challengers, but a jump to bantamweight could be his chance to silence doubters once and for all. As he himself admitted, “Roll the dice.” The pieces are in place, and fans are left to wonder, will he cement his pound-for-pound legacy by conquering a second division, or continue asserting dominance where he already reigns supreme? Let us know in the comments below!