UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja has declared that he wants to be the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion’s rankings.
Right now, Alexandre Pantoja is easily one of the most impressive fighters in all of mixed martial arts. He has successfully defended the flyweight title four times, he seems to be getting better with age, and he has fought some of the very best names to have ever compted at 125 pounds. This weekend, he faces an entirely new challenge when he battles 24-year-old contender Joshua Van.
Many believe this is the moment for Van to burst into superstardom and claim the title. Alexandre Pantoja, meanwhile, has one thought on his mind – successfully defend the strap for a fifth time, and move further up the pound-for-pound rankings – which he believes that he deserves.
In a recent media scrum, Alexandre Pantoja spoke about this desire as we get closer and closer to fight night.
Alexandre Pantoja reveals P4P desire
“I want to be the pound-for-pound (No. 1) – I want to be the best fighter in the world,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie and other media at the UFC 323 media day on Wednesday. “It’s very tough that I conquer that because we have a lot of good champions right now.
“You have (Islam) Makhachev, Merab (Dvalishvili), (Ilia) Topuria, (Khamzat) Chimaev, (Alex) Pereira, (Alexander) Volkanovski – so many great guys. I think that’s the best time to be a UFC fan, but at the same time, it’s very hard for fighters to get the No. 1 position.”
“I think everybody’s so great in these rankings,” Pantoja said. “A lot of these guys have good points. You see Chimaev undefeated, Topuria, Makhachev looks unstoppable, Merab. I feel very happy to be part of that club, the best fighters in the world, and what I want Saturday night is to prove that I’m the best one. That’s what I try to follow. That’s one of my goals.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie