MMA
Alexandre Pantoja should retire following UFC 331 loss, says Demetrious Johnson: "You've done your thing"
Published
1 month agoon
Zuffa LLCAlexandre Pantoja may be wise to ride off into the sunset following UFC 331, at least that's what Demetrious Johnson thinks.
Pantoja hoped to prove that he's still the true king of the flyweight division when he shared the Octagon with Joshua Van a second time this past Saturday. Their first encounter ended prematurely when Pantoja suffered an arm injury. While the second clash was a five-round affair that earned “Fight of the Night†bonuses, it was Van who walked out of the Crypto.com Arena still the 125-pound ruler.
So, where does that leave Pantoja now? During a post-UFC 331 edition of the “Precision Pod,†Johnson told Israel Adesanya that he feels now would be a good time for Pantoja to walk away from pro MMA competition given his place in the flyweight division without a title (via MMAJunkie).
“It's hard because he was a champion, and he's beat Brandon Moreno, he's beat Brandon Royval,†Johnson said. “I don't know if he's beat Manel Kape, but Manel Kape is going to be fighting Joshua Van next. So it's kind of interesting because he's in the no-man's land where he's beaten everyone already. The only guys he can fight now are just newcomers. He's not going to fight Kyoji Horiguchi because they're teammates. You don't want to knock down an upcoming newcomer because Pantoja is 36. That's where my black ass just goes, ‘Dog, ride off into the sunset. You don't need to get hit. You don't need concussions anymore. You've done your thing.’â€
Whether or not Pantoja feels the same way remains to be seen. The former flyweight champion will be turning 37 in April, and he's already cemented his legacy with a lengthy run at the top of his weight class. Pantoja has long dismissed the possibility of moving up to bantamweight, but perhaps the loss to Van will give him something to consider.
Where should Alexandre Pantoja go from here? Is retirement a strong possibility? If not, should he stick around at flyweight or move up to 135 pounds? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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MMA
Arman Tsarukyan sets one condition for fighting Alexander Volkanovski
Published
3 hours agoon
November 3, 2026
Tsarukyan is open to fighting Alexander
Volkanovski, provided
Ultimate Fighting Championship gold is at stake.
Volkanovski (29-4) defended the featherweight title with a
technical knockout victory over Movsar
Evloev at
UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi before expressing interest in returning to
lightweight. With champion Justin
Gaethje uncertain about his future, Volkanovski offered to face
Tsarukyan (24-3) for the vacant title if Gaethje retires.
Arman Tsarukyan reminds Alexander Volkanovski how Islam
Makhachev rematch ended
Tsarukyan said the championship matters more to him than the
opponent.
“I'm ready for everyone,†Tsarukyan told Yavuz Saynomo. “For me, it
doesn't matter who I'm gonna fight; I just want to fight for the
title.â€
Volkanovski has expressed confidence that he can counter
Tsarukyan's wrestling and avoid being held down. Tsarukyan
responded by recalling the Australian's knockout loss to Islam
Makhachev.
“He said Islam Makhachev cannot knock him out, too,†Tsarukyan
added.
Volkanovski has twice challenged Makhachev for the lightweight
championship. He lost their first meeting by unanimous decision
before Makhachev finished their rematch with a head kick and
follow-up punches.
Tsarukyan remains confident that his next bout will be for the
title. If Gaethje retires, “The Batman†expects to compete for the
vacant belt.
“I have a title fight next,†Tsarukyan reiterated. “Either Justin
Gaethje. If he is retired, someone else.â€
MMA
Report: Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Michelle Montague postponed to UFC 335 on Dec. 12
Published
22 hours agoon
November 2, 2026
MMA
On To the Next One: Matches to make after controversial UFC Vegas 123 event
Published
22 hours agoon
November 2, 2026
UFC Vegas 123 went down this past Saturday at the Meta APEX. The Halloween-themed event ended in controversy following referee Dan Miragliotta's decision to stand up Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan with Moicano in a dominant position, thus leading to Nolan getting the finish the third round. Where does Nolan go from this victory where the headlines are solely about the referee?
On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what's next for Nolan after getting his biggest win, yet not getting the rub despite not doing anything wrong. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Jacobe Smith following his impressive win over Randy Brown in the co-main event, Cody Durden after defeating Ode Osbourne in the featured bout, along with fellow main card winners Luana Santos and Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani, and more.
Plus, your matchmaking suggestions during the second half of the program.
Arman Tsarukyan sets one condition for fighting Alexander Volkanovski
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Arman Tsarukyan sets one condition for fighting Alexander Volkanovski
Naoya Inoue Receives Title Shot Opportunity in New Division After Champions Fifth Consecutive Stoppage
Terence Crawfords Interim Champion Eyes Canelo Showdown After Mbilli Victory
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