It has taken
Alexandre
Pantoja more than six years of countless ups and downs to get
here, and he has every intention of making the most of his
opportunity.
“The Cannibal,” who arrived in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2017, will challenge
Brandon
Moreno for the undisputed flyweight crown in the
UFC 290 co-headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las
Vegas. Pantoja enters the Octagon on the strength of three
consecutive victories, the last two of them via submission. He
credits an unwavering diligence for his surge to the top of the
125-pound rankings.
“All of that is the result of the work I’ve done throughout my
entire life,” Pantoja told Sherdog.com. “There are countless
factors and training partners that brought me to this point. My
victories are thanks to my team and to my willpower.”
Getting the best of Moreno will be no easy task. The
Fortis
MMA rep has lost just once in his past 10 appearances—a
decision defeat to
Deiveson
Figueiredo he later avenged to unify the flyweight
championship. Moreno, 29, has never been finished in his 29-fight
career.
“He’s fierce,” Pantoja said. “His strong suit is something that
every fighter needs: heart. The rest is training. I knew of his
qualities long before he became champion. He fights until the
bitter end. It pleases me to know I’ll be facing someone like that.
I can’t predict how things will go, but I’m always ready to give
everything in my fights. Above all, we’ll put on a great show.”
Anchored at
American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, Pantoja figures to
be uniquely prepared for his latest test. There, he works alongside
other accomplished flyweights, including
Jussier
Formiga,
Adriano
Moraes,
Kyoji
Horiguchi and
Victor
Dias.
“It’s the best academy in the world,” Pantoja said. “I’m not going
anywhere. I feel great. I look forward to training with everyone
here in order to pick up new knowledge. I’m in the best place for a
flyweight.”
Like Moreno, Pantoja has never been stopped as a pro. Consider it a
meeting between the irresistible force and the immovable object at
125 pounds. Pantoja has major plans moving forward. Whether or not
they come to fruition remains to be seen.
“Not only do I want to capture the belt, but I also want to defend
it,” Pantoja said. “After all these years of work, I’ve reached a
moment of greater understanding. In addition, I’d like to make it
into the pound-for-pound rankings. I want to take advantage of all
the visibility that comes with being a champion.”