Summary
Marcos Parrumpa reveals how the former UFC champion Alexandre pantoja He should return. Photo: Reproduction/UFC EURASIA/YouTube/Montage SUPER LUTAS
Marcos Parrumpa was sincere. Parrumpa revealed on the YouTube channel Laerte Viana na Área – MMA the reaction of Alexandre pantoja Following the defeat, he explained when the former flyweight champion (up to 56,7kg) is expected to return to fighting for the UFC.
During the conversation, 'Parrumpinha' answered about the psychological state of Alexandre Pantoja after the defeat And how is the recovery of the former UFC flyweight champion going?
“He’s pissed, right? Because we couldn’t show what we trained for, how much he’d improved and how prepared he was. I think those 30 seconds were enough for people to see how the fight would unfold. He was the usual Pantoja: aggressive, moving forward… We were very sad because you really can’t predict an accident like that. Now it’s very easy to see experts saying he planted the wrong hand, that he should have done it like in judo, a somersault, a roll… Look, there’s one thing we can’t predict, and that’s instinct,” said Marcos Parrumpa in the conversation.
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Marcos also mentioned the "MMA fighter's instinct" of avoiding being on the bottom and fighting for every position. Parrumpa understands that this is part of the fight and the moment of making the decision.
“Those two or three seconds that the guy has to think, he made that decision. Unfortunately, what happened, happened. We could be celebrating another title defense for him today, but we are trying to help him in the best way possible so that he can come back as healthy as possible and recover a belt that he never lost,” Parrumpa continued.
Marcos Parrumpa reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Alexandre Pantoja's elbow injury.
Alexandre pantoja got injured in UFC 323Photo: UFC Eurasia
'Parrumpinha' praised Pantoja, calling him a "tough guy". In the interview, Marcos recalled the moment when Alexandre suffered the elbow injury and how courageous the fighter was in trying to put his elbow back in place to continue fighting.
“His elbow dislocated. Pantoja is very tough. If it were someone else, maybe they wouldn't have done what he did: he tried to put his elbow back in place to continue fighting, without showing any pain. I said after the fight: 'It's a good thing you didn't manage it, because if you had continued fighting and lost, nobody would have said anything about the injury'... Then, still in the octagon, Alexandre himself managed to put his elbow back in place, but it was unstable. We did an X-ray, there was no fracture. We did an MRI a few days ago and we are still waiting for a definitive opinion on ligament, tendon or need for surgery,” Marcos recalled in the conversation.
Parrumpa reveals when Alexandre Pantoja is expected to return to fighting for the UFC.
Marcos also gave an opinion regarding the possible period in which Alexandre pantoja He will be returning to the UFC octagon. Parrumpa believes that between May and June of 2026 would be a more viable timeframe.
“We hope he has enough time to return to fight for the belt. Everything will depend on the recovery time and the UFC's schedule. If the UFC insists on Houston on February 21st, there is absolutely no possibility of Pantoja fighting. Not even with a miracle. The quickest would be the end of May or June,” concluded 'Parrumpinha' in an interview with the YouTube channel Laerte Viana na Área – MMA.
Alexandre pantoja is already back in the gym and on the road to recovery 💪 pic.twitter.com/YJ05IaFsy0
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) December 12, 2025
Who is Marcos Parrumpa?
Marcos da Matta, also known as 'Parrumpinha' or 'Parrumpa', was one of the leading featherweight fighters in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the late 1990s and early 2000s, having won medals in the world championship. 'Parrumpinha' also fought professional MMA.
Marcos Parrumpa's last professional MMA fight was against Jordan Mackin in July 2018. Parrumpa was 45 years old at the time. The Brazilian defeated his opponent, 20 years younger, in the main event of the Underground Cage Fighting Championship in West Palm Beach (USA).
Throughout his MMA career, 'Parrumpinha' recorded 12 wins and three losses. A black belt under Carlson Gracie, Marcos Parrumpa later joined American Top Team and became one of the most prestigious grappling coaches in the world.
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