Alexandre Pantoja during his presentation at UFC 310. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC India
After UFC 310 , held last Saturday (7), the organization's president, Dana White, commented on the challenge launched by Alexandre Pantoja to Demetrious Johnson for the title of ' GOAT ' (greatest of all time) in the flyweight division (up to 56,7kg). The Brazilian, who retained the belt after a submission over Kai Asakura , surprised by sending a direct message to the former champion to propose a fight to define who really deserves the title.
In a post-event interview, Dana was asked about the possibility of a fight between Pantoja and Demetrious, who announced his retirement in September of this year, after a history of 11 title defenses in the UFC and a stint in ONE Championship. The president did not completely rule out the idea, but he was cautious.
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“I don’t know. It’s interesting. I was the one who defended Demetrious Johnson for a long time (as the greatest). And it is, I don’t know,” White stated.
Pantoja's challenge
After his victory over Kai Asakura at the event held in Las Vegas (USA), Alexandre Pantoja (who now has three title defenses in the UFC) used the opportunity to issue a challenge to Demetrious Johnson.
“It would be a special fight for a retired fighter, he doesn’t fight anymore, he retired this year, but this is my message to you: Demetrious Johnson , I am the GOAT here. If you want to prove you are the GOAT, come back,” he declared.
Pantoja, 34, has shown absolute dominance in the division and has already had important victories against the top names in the category, including Brandon Moreno , Brandon Royval and, more recently, Kai Asakura . His current record is 29 wins and five losses.
Demetrious Johnson's Retirement
Demetrious Johnson , for his part, was one of the greatest champions in UFC history, winning and defending the flyweight title a record 11 times between 2013 and 2017. His retirement was announced in September 2023, when he was still active in ONE Championship.
The 38-year-old American revealed that he was offered US$2 million (around R$12,1 million) to return to competition, but chose to stay away, highlighting that his plans are focused on other projects.
“I refused, I don’t want to fight anymore, the YouTube video will be out soon,” he replied.
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