Tag: Alexandre Pantoja

John Dodson laments UFC pushing him to 135, thinks he’d knock out Alexandre Pantoja ‘right now’

John Dodson wasn’t thrilled about fighting at bantamweight because the UFC pushed for it, which didn’t go well for him.

[autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] likes his chances against UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Dodson only lost twice in the UFC as a flyweight – both title fights against Demetrious Johnson. The Season 14 “Ultimate Fighter” winner was released by the UFC in 2020 after going 4-5 as a bantamweight.

Dodson, who’s now back down at 125 pounds, said what prompted his move up to bantamweight was the UFC’s unwillingness to book a trilogy bout between him and Johnson down the line. So, seeing Brandon Moreno fight Deiveson Figueiredo four times and Pantoja three times, Dodson thinks he’d fair well against the top UFC flyweights.

“Back in my day when I was in the UFC, they sat there and told me that I couldn’t fight Demetrious Johnson for the third time, and it would be a boring fight,” Johnson told MMA Junkie Radio. “So I had to move up to 135, and I did, and look how well that turned out. Then I went back down to flyweight and look how amazing I am. I don’t even know why they haven’t chose to bring other people back in.

“They just want to get new life, new fame, new stardom, new star power to that flyweight division. More power to them, they want to keep it like a unique system for them to go ahead and make more money. Let’s just go ahead and push the older guys out who would demolish all those younger guys because I really think I can knock out Pantoja right now, too.”

Dodson defends his flyweight title against Dagoberto Aguero in the main event of BKFC 59 Friday at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M.

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Muhammad Mokaev: Steve Erceg ‘still green,’ loses to champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301

Muhammad Mokaev thinks Steve Erceg is too inexperienced to beat Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] is too inexperienced to beat [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Flyweight champion Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defends his title at against Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio. Mokaev was passed up for a title shot despite defeating former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238. Erceg knocked out Matt Schnell on the same night to earn the title opportunity over him.

With Erceg having never gone past Round 3, Mokaev sees Pantoja’s pressure being too much.

“I think Pantoja will win,” Mokaev told TNT Sports. “I think Erceg is still green, still not as experienced to fight Pantoja. Pantoja is very, very experienced. He’s a dog in this game. He’s a bully fighter.

“He comes, tries to finish you from early seconds, and then when he cannot finish you, he breaks. That’s the key I’ve learned from watching Pantoja, I’ve trained with him, and I know I have the keys to beat him.”

As for Erceg, Mokaev doesn’t see him hanging with Pantoja on the ground.

“Erceg has really good boxing, but ground game is not there,” Mokaev continued. “Especially he just fought, he’s not a wrestler, he doesn’t have the condition to work for five rounds. Every great striker once they get taken down, they cannot strike second and third round the same as they can in the first round.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC champ Alexandre Pantoja would entertain bantamweight ‘just for Sean O’Malley’

Alexandre Pantoja is still interested in fighting fellow UFC champ Sean O’Malley.

UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] is still interested in fighting [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

Pantoja and bantamweight champion O’Malley went back-and-forth online this past September about a sparring session in 2017, with each fighter having his own version of the story.

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defends his flyweight title against Steve Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the UFC 301 main event May 4 in Rio. If he gets past Erceg, Pantoja is open to moving up to challenge O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC).

“I can fight at 135, definitely,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “But everybody knows I’m small. I’m not too big, you know. I’m really a flyweight guy, and I’m just thinking about going to the bantamweight to fight with O’Malley. That’s a good history I have with him.”

Pantoja praised O’Malley for his shutout of Marlon Vera at UFC 299. He clarified that moving up to 135 pounds would solely be for a fight with O’Malley.

“He looked perfect,” Pantoja said of O’Malley. “How ‘Chito’ keeps fighting at that pace, that’s crazy, you know. The knees O’Malley throwing at ‘Chito,’ ‘Chito’ is very tough guy, brother. He’s tough. He wants to fight, but he don’t find the range with O’Malley.

“I find his reach when I trained with O’Malley. It’s not a big problem for me. …Maybe after the second title defense I’m very open for that opportunity, but just for O’Malley. I don’t want to go through the bantamweight and fight with some Umar Nurmagomedov.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Video: At UFC 301, Alexandre Pantoja faces surprise opponent Steve Erceg. Why this matchup?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the surprising UFC 301 main event matchup, Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg for the 125-pound title.

UFC 301 has its headliner, and flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] will be putting his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag].

Pantoja will get his fight on home soil in Brazil, while Erceg, No. 14 flyweight in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie men’s flyweight rankings, gets a crack at UFC gold after just three fights with the promotion.

How did we end up with this matchup? Is this a message to the rest of the flyweight division that were passed up for the opportunity, or was this simply a case of timing being in favor of the Australian flyweight?

Those were the questions asked about this matchup in this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” with Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, Brian “Goze” Garcia and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

UFC 301 odds: Alexandre Pantoja opens as sizeable favorite to defend title vs. Steve Erceg

Given the disparity in ranking, it should come as no surprise Alexandre Pantoja is heavily favored to retain gold at UFC 301.

Given the disparity in ranking, it should come as no surprise [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] is heavily expected to retain flyweight gold against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] in the recently announced UFC 301 headliner.

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) will attempt to make a second consecutive defense of his 125-pound belt when he meets Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at the May 4 event from Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). The champion is fighting on home soil against a significantly less experienced challenger, and the betting odds reflect the advantages.

According to the opening UFC 301 odds from FanDuel, Pantoja is listed as a –280 betting favorite, meaning a $280 bet on him would yield a $100 return. Erceg comes back as a +210 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Australian would come with a $210 payout.

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Pantoja, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, claimed the title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 in July. He registered his first defense with a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 in December.

No. 14-ranked Erceg made his octagon debut in June and has since reeled off three consecutive wins, with the highlight on that stretch being a second-round knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238 earlier this month.

The latest UFC 301 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg – for flyweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Michel Pereira
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
  • William Gomis vs. Jean Silva
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Alexandre Pantoja: Steve Erceg good name but ‘so lucky’ to get UFC 301 title shot

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja thinks Steve Erceg’s title shot is a case of timing luck.

UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]’s title shot is a case of timing.

It came as a surprise to many that Erceg wound up getting the next shot at Pantoja after notching just his third octagon win with a knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He challenges Pantoja for the flyweight title in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio.

While Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also didn’t foresee Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) being his next opponent, he argued that everyone is talented in the top 15.

“I didn’t expect it to be Steve Erceg, but it’s a good name, too,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “That’s funny because if you watch my interviews, all the time I was talking about in the flyweight division, you can take someone from No. 10 and fight with the champion or the No. 1 contender, and it’s going to be a good matchup. In this division, all the guys are so good.”

Pantoja also didn’t have too many fresh matchups as options. Erceg threw his name in the hat in an interview with MMA Junkie, and Muhammad Mokaev and Brandon Royval also campaigned.

“I fought with all the division,” Pantoja said. “I fought with the No. 1 (Royval) two times, the No. 2 (Moreno) three times, No. 3 right now is Amir Albazi, who has an injury. I fought Kai Kara-France before, Manel Kape, Alex Perez, Matt Schnell, I fought everyone. I think that guy is so lucky because all these things happened.”

Pantoja is motivated by the fact that Erceg hasn’t had to go through the trenches to get to him.

“He’s coming fresh for that fight because he didn’t fight the No. 8 or No. 6 or No. 4 like me,” Pantoja said. “I needed to fight with all these guys, and I had a lot of wars with Manel Kape, Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, that gives me a lot of emotion.

“I lost a couple of years of my life in those fights, and that guy Steve comes so fresh. He didn’t fight the guys at the top of the division. All the fighters in the flyweight division are very good. He has good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, it’s going to be very interesting for me.”

As for undefeated Mokaev, who notched a win over former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238, Pantoja expects to see him very soon.

“I really thought at that time I’d fight with Mokaev, but I don’t know what plans the UFC prepared for me,” Pantoja admitted. “Maybe they want Mokaev to fight with Royval first. It’s going to be a very good matchup.

“Also, Mokaev is so young. He has a chance to prove he deserves to fight for the title. I know 100 percent if I defend my belt in Brazil, I’m going to see Mokaev next.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Spinning Back Clique LIVE: Diaz-Masvidal boxing rematch, UFC 301’s main event, Jose Aldo’s return, Islam Makhachev speaks

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 2, UFC 301’s headliner, the return of Jose Aldo, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia, live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] will run it back in June, but this time, the rivals will meet inside a boxing ring rather than an MMA cage. The former UFC mainstays will compete independently of the organization where they made their names and, in fact, will fight on the same night as UFC 302. The name power is there for this rematch between two of the more popular MMA fighters in recent memory, but should it have been in a cage like the first meeting?
  • [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] has his next flyweight title challenger: [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]. UFC 301 has its headliner, and it’s a flyweight title fight that nobody saw coming. Pantoja gets the opportunity to defend his title on home soil, but the challenger in UFC-ranked No. 10 Erceg caught many, including several peers in his division, by surprise. Is this a case of perfect timing for Erceg, or there a larger message being sent to the division?
  • After walking away from the UFC after his 20th fight, to an instant Hall of Fame induction while dabbling in professional boxing, former featherweight king [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is back. At UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Aldo will return to action against Jonathan Martinez, adding some much-needed weight to a light pay-per-view event. More importantly, what should be expected of the 37-year-old Aldo in return to the UFC?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] crossed paths at a sports convention this past weekend. The viral moment saw the two heavyweights exchange respectful words in a face-to-face encounter. Aspinall, the heavyweight interim title holder, placed his hand on Jones’ shoulder, which prompted the UFC champ to immediately remove it before continuing with the brief interaction. You could feel the respect, and also the tension. Should the UFC change course here from Jones’ expected fight against Stipe Miocic and unify the UFC title next?
  • [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] spoke to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, hitting on several interesting topics. Among them were the reasons for wanting Dustin Poirier to be his next title challenger, his thoughts on the BMF title fight between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway, and why he could not take on Leon Edwards in a champ vs. champ fight at UFC 300. What struck you the most about this interview with the UFC lightweight champion?

Alexandre Pantoja to defend flyweight title in UFC 301 main event vs. Steve Erceg

Alexandre Pantoja is set to defend UFC flyweight title against Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 headliner on May 6 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]’s next title defense will be on home soil.

The UFC flyweight champion has been booked for his second title defense. He will take on [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 301, which will take place on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The promotion officially announced the matchup on Friday.

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) won the UFC flyweight title in an all-out war against then-champion Brandon Moreno back in July. He then defended his belt this past December in a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval. Pantoja is on a five-fight winning streak. This is also the first time Pantoja fights in Brazil under the UFC banner. The last time he competed in Brazil was back in 2013.

Meanwhile, Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) gets the opportunity to fight for UFC gold in just his fourth fight with the promotion. He debuted in June with a unanimous decision win over David Dvorak, and then followed up with wins over Alessandro Costa and then Matt Schnell, which was earlier this month.

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With the addition, the current UFC 301 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg – for flyweight title
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Michel Pereira
  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • William Gomis vs. Jean Silva
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Steve Erceg ready for Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 if he gets the call

Steve Erceg would jump at the opportunity if he was offered a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] would jump at the opportunity if he was offered a title shot against [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) scored his first octagon finish when he knocked out Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He called out Brandon Moreno after the win.

Flyweight champion Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is looking to defend his title at UFC 301 May 4 in Rio. With Pantoja having already beaten most of the top contenders, Erceg is ready to make a quick turnaround if he’s approached.

“It is super fast, but I told you I wanted to get to the title as fast as I can,” Erceg told MMA Junkie. “I assume they’re probably going to give it to (Muhammad) Mokaev, even off of his poor performance just because that’s what Pantoja asked for. But if they call me, I’m going to step up. I’m here to show that I’m the best fighter in the world, so two days, eight days, five weeks, whichever it is, I’ll show up and put on a show.”

Pantoja mentioned Erceg as a possibility. Mokaev defeated former title challenger Alex Perez, also at UFC Fight Night 238, and the champion has narrowed it down to those two fighters. He dismissed Brandon Royval at an option because he was his most recent title defense.

“Now I’m 9-0 with all the top 10, but you have good new names coming to the division,” Pantoja told Sportsnet. “You have Mokaev making a great fight with Alex Perez. You have Manel Kape, but I already beat him. You have (Erceg), the guy from Australia – he’s really good.

“He fought Matt Schnell. He looks like Steve Carell. He’s a good fighter. I knocked out Matt Schnell in the first round. He did it in the second. Maybe it’s a good option for the UFC, too.”

Erceg envisions a potential fight with Pantoja being a tough one, but sees holes he can expose.

“Until I beat Schnell and put him outside the top 10, I think he had nine wins over the current top 10,” Erceg said. “So it’s hard to argue that he’s not the best guy in the division. He’s a really good fighter. Obviously, his bread and butter is beating people with pressure and taking people’s backs, that sort of thing.

“His striking isn’t bad, but it does get sloppy pretty quickly. Again, he pushes so hard that it’s hard for him not to get tired – so I think he’s very exploitable. That’s what makes it fun. It’s going to be a tough fight. It’s going to be a hard fight. It’s going to be fun, for sure.”

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Brandon Royval aims to ‘keep spoiling parties’ against Alexandre Pantoja after UFC Mexico win

The fiesta was spoiled by Brandon Royval at UFC Mexico, and now he’s looking to do the same at UFC 301.

MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] spoiled the fiesta Saturday at Mexico City Arena, and he hopes to continue his tour of disappointing UFC attendees.

With a split decision win over former titleholder Brandon Moreno in the UFC Fight Night 237 main event, Royval (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) thinks the logical next choice for a flyweight title challenger is himself. A May 4 rematch vs. titleholder [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is what he wants.

“I’m going to keep spoiling parties,” Royval told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “At UFC 301, I’m going to fight Pantoja, and I’m going to take his belt in his hometown. We’ll keep spoiling parties. After I win that belt, I’ll defend my belt in Denver, Colorado.”

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Some fights fans might be sour to the idea of running back a fight that just took place in December. Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defeated Royval at UFC 296 on Dec. 16.

However, Royval would ask the naysayers to look at his improvement in the two months since then and what he was able to accomplish Saturday in hostile territory.

“You’ve seen it,” Royval said. “I’ve made adjustments in six weeks or five weeks, whatever it was. It was five weeks because I hurt my hand, and I couldn’t get back into training. I had a five-week training camp for that. In five weeks, I made a bunch of adjustments. I didn’t get held down. Brandon Moreno tried to slow me down, hold me down, slow the pace, keep me down. They ain’t going to hold me down no more, bro.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.