With three title defenses and nearly a decade in the UFC, Alexandre Pantoja has reigned supreme in the flyweight division (up to 56,7 kg). Given this, despite having challenged Demetrious Johnson after his victory against Kai Asakura at UFC 310 , the Brazilian now faces the possibility of encountering an old rival: Kai Kara-France.
In an interview with Canadian journalist Ariel Helwani, Pantoja admitted the dangers that the New Zealander brings to his game and that, given the situation in the category, it is an interesting fight for his legacy.
“For now, this is the fight that makes the most sense. In his last three fights, he lost twice. But for now, after what I’ve done in my division, nothing else makes sense anymore. I fought the number 1, the number 2, the top 10, someone from another event. Kai Kara-France is a very exciting fight. This is someone who will take me to another level,” said the champion.
In the same interview, the fighter also acknowledged the progress that both have made in their respective careers since their first meeting. It is worth mentioning that the two faced each other in the 24th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with the Brazilian winning. Since the fights on the show are recorded as exhibitions, they are not part of the athletes' official records.
Alexandre pantoja vs Kai Kara France
The Ultimate Fighter Season 24
Back Takes: 1Pantoja's second fight on TUF, and the last fight he won on there too. He secures one clean back take and moves to win the fight via decision pic.twitter.com/GCpDnIpmab
— PantojaGOAT (@Pantoja_GOAT) December 11, 2023
Kai Kara-France is coming off a first-round technical knockout victory against Steve Erceg in August of this year. Prior to that, he had suffered two defeats against Amir Albazi and Brandon Moreno.
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