A. Pantoja is the current UFC flyweight champion. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
With no clear challenger in the division, the Brazilian Alexandre pantoja thought of a 'fun' way to select his next rival. Inspired by the first 'Rocky Balboa' film, the owner of the flyweight belt (up to 56,7kg) asked his fans about the possibility of choosing an opponent unknown to the general public, just as Apolo Creed did in the 1976 feature film.
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"Hey guys. I've already won the entire division and now I'm going to do like Apolo Creed did for Rocky Balboa in the first film. I'm going to give you the chance to fight someone nobody knows, fight for the world title, ok? I'm going to put my belt on the line for some guy from the underworld that nobody knows and that guy will have the chance to fight for the world title. Is it a good idea?” asked Pantoja.
In the first film, Apolo Creed was a boxing champion who decided to choose an unknown challenger to fight him for the world title. The then owner of the belt chose the anonymous Rocky Balboa to face him and the film became one of the most awarded and admired films in the history of cinema, winning another five films in a sequence that only ended in 2006.
Flyweight champion since July 2023, Pantoja finds himself in a corner in the division having already beaten the main candidates for the challenger position more than once at the moment. There is speculation that the Brazilian will defend his title for the second time in UFC 301, which takes place on May 04th, in Rio de Janeiro.
See Alexandre Pantoja's video on his Instagram
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