# Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo (born April 16, 1990) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Flyweight Champion. As of December 10, 2024, he is #9 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

## Mixed martial arts career
### The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions

On May 11, 2016, the UFC announced that the 16 contestants for the season of this TUF would be flyweight champion fighters from various organizations around the world, with the winner being expected to have a chance to fight for the flyweight title against Demetrious Johnson. The cast was announced on July 20. The coaches for the season were the former challengers to the flyweight belt, Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo, and Pantoja was from Team Cejudo.
He was ranked # 1 in Team Cejudo, and made his first fight against # 16 Team Benavidez, Brandon Moreno. The two came to interact within the house, even with Pantoja speaking Portuguese and Brandon Moreno speaking Spanish, the similarity between languages facilitated communication. In the fight, Alexandre Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno by submission in the second round. With this victory, Pantoja went to the quarterfinals of the reality show.
Pantoja faced fellow team Cejudo member Kai Kara-France in the quarterfinals, defeating him by unanimous decision and progressing through to the semifinals.
Pantoja faced Hiromasa Ougikubo in the semifinals of the tournament and was defeated by unanimous decision, and it was soon announced that he had contracted with the UFC.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship

Alexandre made his promotional debut on January 28, 2017, at UFC on Fox 23 against Eric Shelton. He won the fight via split decision.
Pantoja faced Neil Seery on July 16, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 113. He won the fight via submission in the third round.
Pantoja faced Dustin Ortiz on January 20, 2018 at UFC 220. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Pantoja faced Brandon Moreno on May 19, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 129. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
Pantoja faced Ulka Sasaki on November 17, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 140. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
Pantoja faced Wilson Reis on April 13, 2019 at UFC 236. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.
Pantoja faced Deiveson Figueiredo on July 27, 2019 at UFC 240. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
Pantoja faced Matt Schnell on December 21, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 165. He won the fight via first-round knockout. The win also earned Pantoja his first Performance of the Night bonus award.
Pantoja faced Askar Askarov at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 19, 2020. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Pantoja was expected to face promotional newcomer and the former Rizin FF Bantamweight champion Manel Kape on December 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 183. However Pantoja pulled out of the fight in early December for undisclosed reasons. The fight eventually took place on February 6, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 184. Pantoja won the fight via unanimous decision.
Pantoja faced Brandon Royval on August 21, 2021 UFC on ESPN 29. He won the fight via rear-naked choke in round two. With this win, Pantoja earned the Performance of the Night award. Pantoja was meant to fight for the UFC flyweight title but a knee injury forced him out of it.
Pantoja faced Alex Perez on July 30, 2022, at UFC 277. He won the fight via a neck crank submission early in the first round. The win also earned Pantoja his third Performance of the Night award.

#### UFC Flyweight Champion

Pantoja rematched Brandon Moreno on July 8, 2023 at UFC 290 for the UFC Flyweight Championship. Pantoja came out victorious via split decision, winning the bout and the title. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
In his first title defense, Pantoja faced Brandon Royval in a rematch on December 16, 2023, at UFC 296. He successfully defended his title, winning the bout via unanimous decision.
Pantoja faced Steve Erceg on May 4, 2024, at UFC 301. He won and successfully defended his title via unanimous decision.
Pantoja made his third UFC Flyweight Championship title defense against former two-time Rizin Bantamweight Champion and promotional newcomer Kai Asakura on December 7, 2024 at UFC 310. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.
Pantoja was reportedly going to make his fourth title defense against Kai Kara-France on April 12, 2025, at UFC 314. However, for unknown reasons, the bout was moved to June 7, 2025 at UFC 316.

## Personal life

Pantoja is married and has two sons. After winning the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 290, Pantoja revealed in the post-fight interview that his father had abandoned his family, leaving his mother to raise him and his two brothers alone, and (facing the camera) asked his father if he was proud of him now.

## Championships and accomplishments

* Ultimate Fighting Championship
** UFC Flyweight Championship (One time, current)
*** Three successful title defenses
*** Second most title fight wins in UFC Flyweight division history (4)
** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno 2
** Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Matt Schnell, Brandon Royval 1, Alex Perez and Kai Asakura
*** Tied (Kai Kara-France) for third most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Flyweight division history (6)
** Tied (Deiveson Figueiredo & Demetrious Johnson) for most finishes in UFC Flyweight division history (7)
** Tied (Demetrious Johnson) for most submissions in UFC Flyweight division history (5)
*** Tied (John Moraga & Demetrious Johnson) for fourth most submission attempts in UFC Flyweight division history (12)
** Tied (Joseph Benavidez & Demetrious Johnson) for most wins in UFC Flyweight division history (13)
** Tied (Muhammad Mokaev) for second longest win streak in UFC Flyweight division history (7)
** Tied (Jussier Formiga) for fourth most bouts in UFC Flyweight division history (16)
** Third most takedowns landed in UFC Flyweight division history (37)
** Third most significant strikes in UFC Flyweight division history (893)
*** Fifth most total strikes in UFC Flyweight division history (1091)
** Fifth most total fight time in UFC Flyweight division history (3:22:26)
** Fourth most control time in UFC Flyweight division history (1:01:59)
** Fourth most top position time in UFC Flyweight division history (46:45)
** UFC Honors Awards
*** 2023: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee vs. Brandon Moreno 2
** UFC.com Awards
*** 2023: Ranked #5 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #2 Fight of the Year vs. Brandon Moreno 2
*** 2024: Ranked #8 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #7 Submission of the Year vs. Kai Asakura
* Resurrection Fighting Alliance
** RFA Flyweight Championship (One time)
** AXS TV Flyweight Superfight Championship (One time)
* MMAJunkie.com
** 2019 July Fight of the Month vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 34 matches | 29 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 8 | 0 |
| By submission | 11 | 0 |
| By decision | 10 | 5 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Win | 29–5 | Kai Asakura | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 310 | December 7, 2024 | 2 | 2:05 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 28–5 | Steve Erceg | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 301 | May 4, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 27–5 | Brandon Royval | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 296 | December 16, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 26–5 | Brandon Moreno | Decision (split) | UFC 290 | July 8, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the UFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 25–5 | Alex Perez | Submission (neck crank) | UFC 277 | July 30, 2022 | 1 | 1:31 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 24–5 | Brandon Royval | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum | August 21, 2021 | 2 | 1:46 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 23–5 | Manel Kape | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov | February 6, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 22–5 | Askar Askarov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 | July 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 22–4 | Matt Schnell | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie | December 21, 2019 | 1 | 4:17 | Busan, South Korea | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 21–4 | Deiveson Figueiredo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 240 | July 27, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 21–3 | Wilson Reis | TKO (punches) | UFC 236 | April 13, 2019 | 1 | 2:58 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 20–3 | Ulka Sasaki | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio | November 17, 2018 | 1 | 2:18 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| Win | 19–3 | Brandon Moreno | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman | May 19, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Santiago, Chile | |
| Loss | 18–3 | Dustin Ortiz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 220 | January 20, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |
| Win | 18–2 | Neil Seery | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio | July 16, 2017 | 3 | 2:31 | Glasgow, Scotland | |
| Win | 17–2 | Eric Shelton | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña | January 28, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 16–2 | Damacio Page | Technical Submission (triangle choke) | RFA vs. Legacy FC 1 | August 5, 2015 | 2 | 5:00 | Robinsonville, Mississippi, United States | Won the inaugural AXS TV Flyweight Superfight Championship. |
| Win | 15–2 | Matt Manzanares | Submission (rear-naked choke) | RFA 18 | December 9, 2014 | 2 | 2:38 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Won the RFA Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 14–2 | Lincoln de Sá Oliveira | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 45 | December 20, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 13–2 | Daniel Araújo | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Watch Out Combat Show 31 | November 1, 2013 | 1 | 2:13 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | WOCS Flyweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 12–2 | Rodrigo Favacho dos Santos | Submission (rear-naked choke) | MMA Fight Show 1 | March 16, 2013 | 1 | 4:29 | Arraial do Cabo, Brazil | |
| Win | 11–2 | Lincoln de Sá Oliveira | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 32 | July 14, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 10–2 | Sandro Gemaque de Souza | KO (punches) | Fatality Arena Fight Night 1 | December 9, 2011 | 3 | 3:58 | Niterói, Brazil | |
| Win | 9–2 | Samuel de Souza | TKO (elbows and punches) | World Fighting Combat 3 | December 22, 2010 | 1 | 1:23 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 8–2 | Bruno Azevedo | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto Brazil 18 | September 17, 2010 | 1 | N/A | Brasília, Brazil | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Jussier Formiga | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 16 | June 12, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 7–1 | Ralph Alves | Decision (split) | Watch Out Combat Show 6 | December 12, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 6–1 | Magno Alves | KO (punch) | Watch Out Combat Show 5 | September 27, 2009 | 1 | N/A | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–1 | Michael William Costa | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 13 | August 27, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Fortaleza, Brazil | |
| Win | 4–1 | Bruno Moreno | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Shooto Brazil 12 | May 30, 2009 | 3 | 4:09 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–1 | Gabriel Wolff | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Shooto Brazil 11 | March 28, 2009 | 2 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Loss | 2–1 | William Vianna | Decision (split) | Watch Out Combat Show 2 | September 25, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Peterson Malfort | TKO (punches) | Rocinha Fight | August 2, 2008 | 2 | N/A | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Antônio Carlos | Submission (armbar) | Vila Fight | July 21, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Exhibition record breakdown | Exhibition record breakdown | |
| 3 matches | 2 wins | 1 loss |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 2–1 | Hiromasa Ougikubo | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions | November 23, 2016 | 2 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | TUF 24 Semi Finals |
| Win | 2–0 | Kai Kara-France | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions | November 2, 2016 | 2 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | TUF 24 Quarter Finals |
| Win | 1–0 | Brandon Moreno | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions | August 31, 2016 | 2 | 3:44 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | TUF 24 Round of 16 |
*Date given is the air date of the episode. The actual dates of the fight are not released by the UFC

## Pay-per-view bouts

| No | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
| 1. | UFC 301 | Pantoja vs. Erceg | May 4, 2024 | Farmasi Arena | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Not Disclosed |
| 2. | UFC 310 | Pantoja vs. Asakura | December 7, 2024 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Not Disclosed |