Unable to convince UFC legend Demetrious Johnson to come out of retirement , Alexandre Pantoja revealed that he would accept a 'consolation prize'. The organization's first flyweight champion (up to 56,7kg) did not accept the Brazilian's challenge to step into the octagon once more. However, the current title holder has thought of an alternative.
In an interview with journalist Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show, Pantoja suggested inviting Mighty Mouse for a possible training session.
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“I understand if he doesn’t want to (fight), I have great respect (for him). I just need to train with him, maybe train with him, that’s something I want because I’ve already trained with (Henry) Cejudo, I train with Kyoji Horiguchi , Adriano Moraes , I fight with many good fighters. This is something I dreamed of, facing the best fighters in the world. Demetrious Johnson is the best. He’s so intelligent and I want to challenge him because of that. That’s why I’m fighting, and that’s why I never say ‘no’ to anyone. Maybe I’ll send him a message and we can train together,” the champion proposed.
With Demetrious Johnson 's refusal , Alexandre Pantoja already has another target in mind for his fourth title defense: Kai Kara-France , ranked 4th in the UFC flyweight division. However, Portuguese fighter Manel Kape , who dominated Bruno 'Bulldog' and secured a technical knockout victory at UFC Tampa , has offered himself as the next in line to try and take the gold from the Brazilian.
Demetrious Johnson
D. Johnson was the inaugural UFC flyweight champion. (Photo: Twitter UFCNews)
In 2012, the flyweight division was introduced to the UFC, which named Demetrious Johnson as the inaugural champion after a four-man tournament. 'Mighty Mouse' defeated Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 to win the inaugural belt and then defended the title against John Dodson (twice), John Moraga, Joseph Benavidez , Ali Baugatinov, Chris Cariaso, Kyoji Horiguchi , Henry Cejudo , Tim Elliott , Wilson Reis , and Ray Borg. He had 11 successful title defenses in total, leaving his mark as a legacy in MMA and the UFC.
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