Former UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja apologizes to Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland; understand why.

Pantoja at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/pantoja_oficial

In December, Alexandre pantoja His reign in the flyweight division (up to 57 kg) came to an end with the arm injury he suffered in a fight against Joshua VanSince then, the Brazilian has focused on recovery in an effort to reclaim the top spot in the category. And the veteran's dedication is so great that it has simply shortened his time in the... UFC 328, an event led by Khamzat Shimaev e Sean Strickland, held in May in New Jersey (USA).

When talking to Jorge masvidalHis friend and the first holder of the 'BMF' belt (baddest motherfucker in the UFC), Pantoja, always humble, apologized to the top middleweight fighters (up to 83,9 kg). It's quite true that the Brazilian didn't do anything specific against Chimaev and Strickland, much less has anything negative to say about them.

See too

Neymar, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo? Carlos Prates surprises and compares Poatan, Charles do Bronx, and UFC legends to soccer stars.

Dana White surprises and reveals fight he would have liked to announce at the UFC White House.

In great form and close to the title, Paulo Borrachinha reveals the ideal date for his next UFC fight.

In any case, the former flyweight king, to avoid any controversy, explained that he attended the event specifically to watch the match between Van and Tatsuro Taira, defeated by his nemesis and current champion. Therefore, Pantoja emphasized that he withdrew from UFC 328 before the main fight happens for a greater good.

“I’ll tell you something, but don’t be mad at me. When the Van and Taira fight ended, I said, ‘Guys, I’m leaving. I have my opponent. I’m going to bed early.’ Masvidal, that’s me. I apologize to Strickland and Chimaev, who put on a great fight,” said the former UFC champion.

“But I said, ‘I can’t. I have an early flight. I’m leaving. Otherwise, am I going to spend another two hours here?’ No. I’m focused. On Monday I’ll be at the gym, training twice. I have my opponent,” he concluded.

Pantoja's records in the UFC

MMA veteran Alessandre Pantoja, 36, made his mark in the flyweight division as a dominant champion. The Brazilian holds the record for most wins in UFC flyweight history (14), by stoppage (8) and submission (6). His main career triumphs were against Brandon Moreno (XNUMX times), Brandon royval (twice), Kai Asakura, Kai Kara France (twice), Manel kape e Steve Erceg.