Alexandre Pantoja believes he is climbing the GOAT rankings after his third successful flyweight title defense at UFC 310, but despite his desire to fight Demetrious Johnson, Johnson has retired and declined a return to the octagon.
Alexandre Pantoja thinks he’s making his way up the GOAT rankings.
On Saturday, Pantoja defended his flyweight title at UFC 310, submitting Kai Asakura in round two. This victory marked his third title defense, placing him second on the UFC’s list, just behind the legendary Demetrious Johnson. With several wins over top contenders, Pantoja now eyes a chance to fight the man ahead of him.
“Like a GOAT? That’s what I’m aiming for,” Pantoja said at the post-fight press conference. “I feel tight with more victories in this division. That’s why I mentioned Demetrious Johnson. If I’m wrong, my apologies. All respect to him. But I’ve cleaned the division. Beaten No. 1, No. 2 multiple times. The UFC brings me another champion from around the world, and I finished him. That’s the fight that makes sense to me.”
“And flyweight is different now. When Demetrious fought, it wasn’t like this. My last four fights were against a Mexican, Australian, American, and Japanese fighter. Everything’s changed. Good fighters everywhere. It’s tough to keep this belt now… Tough times.”
“All respect to Demetrious Johnson. I respect him, love him because he opened doors for us. But that’s the fight I want.”
Sadly for Pantoja, his dream fight seems unlikely. Johnson hasn’t fought in the UFC since moving to ONE Championship in 2018 and retired earlier this year. “Mighty Mouse” heard Pantoja’s callout but has no plans to end his retirement.
Guys I got offered 2 million dollars to fight!! I turned it down I don’t care to fight anymore YouTube video dropping soon
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse)
“Guys I got offered 2 million dollars to fight!! I turned it down I don’t care to fight anymore YouTube video dropping soon.”
So, Pantoja might not chase Johnson by fighting him directly. Johnson’s record of 11 title defenses is a tall order to match, but “The Cannibal” isn’t out of luck yet. His win over Asakura ties him with Johnson and Joseph Benavidez for most wins in divisional history and with Johnson and Deiveson Figueiredo for most finishes in UFC divisional history. For Pantoja, these records boost his standing in flyweight all-time rankings.
“That’s a tough question because Demetrious has many defenses,” Pantoja said when asked about ranking flyweight GOATs. “Henry Cejudo, he’s an Olympic champ, flyweight champ, bantamweight champ, then there’s me. Then Figueiredo and [Brandon] Moreno follow. That makes sense.”