Defending his title for the fourth time, Alexandre Pantoja once again proved his dominance by submitting knockout artist Kai Kara-France at UFC 317. ‘The Cannibal’ is not just a dominant champion; he’s perhaps the only one not trying to be a ‘champ champ.’ Yet, despite a string of impressive victories, the promotion seems reluctant to give him his due.
Before the event, Pantoja dismissed the P4P rankings as meaningless, claiming he should’ve been ranked #2, just behind Islam Makhachev. Now, even after proving his point, the rankings have shifted, but not nearly enough for the champ, and this dissatisfaction with the UFC might push Pantoja towards Merab Dvalishvili.
After his victory against Kai Kara France, when asked about the P4P rankings, Pantoja called out to the top management of the promotion for their bias. “I’m just behind Islam Makhachev… Five fights for title, eight victories in streak, numbers don’t lie… The only guy I accept is Islam Makhachev,” said Pantoja, calling out the UFC to give him his #2nd spot ranking at the P4P table. Well, the promotion did hear his plea, but was it enough? Certainly not.
The UFC has dropped the updated P4P rankings, and Alexandre Pantoja has jumped four spots to reach the #5 position, just behind Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Islam Makhachev, and Ilia Topuria. So, even after his amazing submission victory over Kai-Kara France, the rankings committee is still not convinced. So, what’s next? Well, it appears that ‘The Cannibal’ will have to fight the bantamweight champion.
Pantoja did state that he would not fight ‘The Machine’, but his recent comments on ‘The Ariel Helwani’ show have changed everything. When asked about him clashing with Dvalishvili, Pantoja stated, “Money talks.” He further added, “If the UFC wants to do something crazy, make a BMF [belt] and make it [at] 135 or 130 pounds. Me, Merab, why not? I don’t need to vacate my [flyweight] belt, and it makes it fairer.”
This is a far cry from the UFC 317 backstage interaction, where Pantoja told Dvalishvili to his face that he did not want to fight him.
June 28, 2025, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: Alexandre Pantoja waits to fight Kai Kara-France during the Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC 317 event. Pantoja won by a rear-naked choke in round 3. Las Vegas USA – ZUMATIAL 20250628_mda_c98_757 Copyright: xRondaxChurchillx
Many fighters within the UFC have called on the promotion to create a second BMF title — this includes Jon Jones and Kayla Harrison — but the UFC seems to have no intention of crowning a second simultaneous BMF champion. Be that as it may, where does Pantoja go from here?
What’s next for Alexandre Pantoja?
Alexandre Pantoja has successfully defended his flyweight title against top contenders like Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, and Kai Kara-France since becoming champion in 2023. ‘The Cannibal’ even gave a shot to a debuting Kai Asakura and finished him. He’s been ruling the division with dominance, turning back every challenger who tried to take his belt. So, what’s next for the Brazilian? A fresh challenge awaits, 23-year-old rising star Joshua Van is ready to step up and test the king of the flyweights.
In the same card, Joshua Van defeated Brandon Royval to cement his name as the next contender for the flyweight title, and he has certainly earned his spot now. As per the promotion’s new flyweight rankings, Joshua Van has jumped 11 positions to become the next contender for the flyweight title. Reacting to Van’s amazing victory over Royval, Pantoja commented, “When I was 23, I was cleaning dishes at a restaurant; he is fighting for the UFC belt.”
Acknowledging Joshua Van as his next challenge, Pantoja is ready to give the youngster the shot. However, Manel Kape, Deiveson Figueiredo, and even Merab Dvalishvili will be watching his moves closely, because who knows when ‘The Cannibal’ might change his mind and choose a more lucrative PPV opponent instead.
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