Pantoja at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/pantoja_oficial
Alexandre Pantoja will have an important commitment next Saturday (19), when he faces Joshua Van in the main fight of UFC 331 , in Los Angeles, United States. Despite preparing for the flyweight title rematch (up to 56,7 kg), the Brazilian also closely follows another fight involving a compatriot at the event.
In an exclusive interview with SUPER LUTAS , the former champion analyzed the duel between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy , who will fight in the co-main event of the card. The veteran acknowledged the Armenian's level, highlighted the Brazilian's recent evolution, and pointed out the factors that could make the confrontation interesting.
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“Without a doubt, Arman is one of the greatest athletes in the world, an elite athlete. I think it's a very tough fight for Ruffy, even though Ruffy always has an ace up his sleeve, he can always pull something out of it. That's what he did against Michael Chandler , who is a wrestler. But Arman is a much better athlete than Michael Chandler is right now. I think Arman should have already fought for the belt. He had an opportunity, but because of an injury, he had to withdraw from the fight,” said Alexandre Pantoja.
The Brazilian also acknowledged Ruffy's growth since his defeat to Frenchman Benoît Saint Denis. In his assessment of the flyweight, Alexander Volkanovski 's training partner showed significant changes and demonstrated a different attitude in his last performance.
“But I think he’s the guy who has to fight for the belt. He’s ready, he’s proven himself many times. I believe Ruffy has also had a huge evolution with this new training. He showed that in his last fight, he presented a different posture, a better distance. After the loss to the Frenchman, he improved a lot, evolved a lot. It’s going to be a very interesting fight to watch as well,” revealed the former champion.
Alexandre Pantoja explains his fan base
Pantoja explained his relationship with his training partners, highlighting the diversity of nationalities at American Top Team and stating that the bond built daily at the gym is very important to him.
“There’s a lot of that, of foreign athletes against Brazilians. There are athletes from all over the world in my camp, so I’ve had athletes from five different nationalities, and in the academy, we have at least 20 different nationalities. I really like Ruffy, I root for him a lot, but first, we are American Top Team. We defend our team because they are the people who help you evolve, the training partners, the people you work with every day. If I train with a Japanese guy who helps me all the time, there’s no way I can be against him,” 'The Cannibal' concluded, declaring his support for Arman.
Pantoja's career path in professional MMA.
Pantoja with his UFC belts. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/pantoja_oficial
At 36 years old, Alexandre Pantoja is one of the top names in the UFC and one of the most successful fighters in the flyweight division. A professional since 2007, the Brazilian has a record of 30 wins and six losses, notably with eight knockout victories and 12 submission wins. Pantoja has achieved remarkable victories over Manel Kape , Brandon Moreno , Brandon Royval , Steve Erceg , and Kai Kara France.
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