Alexandre Pantoja Exclusive UFC 331 Interview

We caught up with Stake Ambassador and UFC Legend, Alexandre Pantoja as he returns to action at UFC 331 on Saturday 19th September and attempts to reclaim UFC gold. Here at Stake.com, we offer the best UFC betting odds on Stake Sportsbook, as well as free live streams of all the MMA action. As proud sponsors of the UFC, we also offer major promotions like our UFC Split Decision Insurance.

Discover the latest UFC insights and predictions in this exclusive stake interview.

Suffering an injury like you did must have been very frustrating. How quickly were you able to move past that mentally, and get back to focusing on fighting?

I think it took me about 20 minutes after my arm came back to its regular position. I remember everything. I remember going out of the octagon, the very first stage, because I really wanted to show everybody how much I evolved and how much I had been working in the gym every day.

And then I saw my kids crying. I said, come on, we’re strong, there’s no need to cry.

I think after these 20 minutes, I'm already over it and focused on what I have to do to get back. I am a very fast learner and I really understood what I had to do. And right now, I feel like this was such a great gift from God, to allow me to lose like that and come back to have this opportunity to go again, and get the championship back. Because I really want to feel that. I want to feel like this is the first time. And the first time I'm one guy and now I'm a different guy. Now I can enjoy it more. I can invest much more money in my camps. And now I think that I'm in my best version.

How has this camp been? You haven’t been the challenger since 2023. Does it feel different?

You know, this is nice because every time I’ve won the belt, I’ve always been part of American Top Team. It’s a very good gym.

I remember the first time I won the belt against Moreno. I went back to the gym and lost to one of my training partners. You know, in the gym, there’s no championship. It doesn’t matter if you’re the champion of the world. You still have to train like a champion.

On the day of the fight, you become champion. But after that day, you have to train very hard if you want to experience that moment again. And that’s what happened. Now, this is the real one. I’m not the champion anymore, and I have the opportunity to become champion one more time.

I’ve been training much better now. I have a better diet, I try to sleep better, and I have good people working with me. That allows me to focus much more, not just on fighting, but on other things in my life too.

I’ve also learnt to enjoy the people around me more: my family, my training partners, my coaches, my friends, and everyone who supports me. To reach this position and become a world champion, I’ve realised that I need to look around and appreciate the people who are with me.

Before, I was always focused only on going forward and building my career. I didn’t really stop to enjoy everything around me. But now, being in this position and having more stability, I can enjoy life much more.

I don’t have to focus on every little thing by myself anymore. I have people helping me with many things, which allows me to focus on my career and also enjoy my time outside the gym.

I enjoy training more now. I have good supplements, good people working with me, and most importantly, I have more time to enjoy with my family. I think that makes all the difference.

Were you pleased that Van beat Taira so that you can get your redemption?

I loved watching that fight. It was especially exciting because it was the co-main event, followed by the main event with Chimaev and Strickland. That was also a great fight, but you could really see the different levels, different mentalities, and different game plans. I love seeing that.

I also love seeing the flyweight fighters put on a great show for everyone. I really appreciate it because I try to do the same thing all the time, not just when I step into the Octagon, but also in the gym.

I train to prove how much I want this, you know? That was an amazing show, and I really enjoyed watching the fight. I had one of the best seats in the house, so I really enjoyed every moment of it.

I think Tatsuro did a very good job, but he is still very young and fresh. He needs more time and more fights to develop and gain experience. Josh was the same in some ways. He made a few mistakes in the beginning, but he proved that he has something special.

When you see Joshua in certain positions, he never looks afraid. He never panics. That is something you either have or you don't. He is a good fighter, I can definitely tell that.

Flyweight is perhaps the most competitive and exciting division in the UFC. How proud are you to be where you are at, at the top of this division?

A lot, you know? And you can see that in the division. You have Manel Kape, who is a very good fighter and a very strong name. You have Kyoji Horiguchi, one of my best teammates, and that would be one of the best fights in the world.

I was glad when Manel Kape spoke highly about Kyoji because I’ve learned so much from him. And then you have all these new guys coming up. There are a lot of new fighters entering the division, and it’s already changing so much. In just one year, there are so many different names. It’s crazy.

I love having the opportunity to fight against this new generation. That’s what I really want. Of course, there are still a lot of things that can happen, but Manel Kape is definitely one of the guys I really want to fight.

I don’t know when that fight is going to happen, but I’m a big fan of Manel. I think he fights very well.

That’s what I want, to fight the best fighters in the world. I fought Manel once before, but I think I’m much better now, and I know he’s much better too.

I train with different training partners all the time. Guys come and go, and I get the opportunity to work with fighters from all over the world. I have a training partner from Chechnya who is very good, a partner from Russia, one from Japan, and others from different places.

Everyone brings a different style, and that’s exactly what I want. I want the opportunity to test myself and fight against all kinds of fighters. I want to prove myself.

At the end of the day, I want to be the best fighter in the world. That’s my goal. It’s what I think about when I go to sleep and what motivates me when I wake up every morning.

It was pretty intense between you and Van at the press conference. You called him ‘kid’ quite a lot. Do you feel like this is an example of the young guy not respecting his elders and not respecting what you've done in the game?

He does such a good job, especially because we have a history. That’s why, when I started talking to you, I mentioned that. This opportunity is a gift for me.

And then you have Joshua Van, who is a very good fighter. We’ve talked about that. He has this new style, and we come from completely different generations. There’s about a 12-year age difference between us.

My son is actually closer to Joshua’s age. My son is 15, and I’m 36, so you can really see the difference between the generations. And I love this opportunity. I love how comfortable Joshua is with all this pressure, but I also love the opportunity to be myself.

Joshua gives me that opportunity. I can be who I really am. I’m a very respectful person, and you can see how many times I’ve talked about Joshua and said good things about him in these interviews. That’s just who I am.

I don’t want to try to be someone I’m not or copy a McGregor-style personality. Everybody tried so hard to be that guy, but there’s only one McGregor. He’s unique, and he has his own personality. I just want to be myself.

Does Van’s attitude annoy you at all?

No, he’s okay. I have kids, brother. I have two boys at home. For me, this is a great opportunity to prove myself, and that’s it.

Sometimes it goes much deeper than that. Sometimes you start thinking about your fate, your journey, the things you’ve been through, and everything that has helped shape you into the person you are.

At the end of the day, I try to put all of myself into the Octagon. I put everything on the line against the guy standing across from me. I give everything I have. That’s what I love about this opportunity.

It’s not just about putting all your cards on the table. It’s about fighting with all your faith, all your heart, and everything you’ve got. It goes so much deeper than just a fight.

You have the opportunity to become that guy, to prove that you belong at the top. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Thank God for this opportunity.

The reaction that you got from the fans at the press conference was amazing. Do you feel like you're the A-side going into this?

If we’re talking about the biggest fights in the division, I really respect Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson. For me, that was the biggest fight in the flyweight division.

But I can say 100% that the fight between me and Van is going to put both of us on a different level. I think that’s what’s going to happen in this fight.

For me, he deserves all the credit for what he has accomplished over the last four years. That’s amazing. But I’m the guy with the most title fights in the flyweight division since Demetrious Johnson.

That’s cinema, bro.

When you won the belt off of Brandon Moreno, he was an incredibly popular fighter at the time, and still is. Do you feel like you had to win the fans over a little bit? And now that you have done that, how does that make you feel?

I’ve tried to stay away from the spotlight, you know? But at the same time, I really appreciate the attention. I’m a man, and I understand that when people love you, they can also turn around and hate you very quickly. I know that comes with the territory, and I’ve earned my place here.

I actually enjoy seeing the comments and all the edits people make. I love seeing people recognise my lifestyle and the way I live. I’m a very family-oriented guy. I always try to give my kids the best life possible and help them become better than I am. I also try to appreciate my wife whenever I have the opportunity, as well as my team and everyone around me. All these people have helped me become who I am today.

It’s nice to see people recognise that, and of course, they also recognise the way I fight. At the end of the day, that’s what matters.

I don’t try to keep all of this in my mind too much. I just want everyone, my fans, Josh’s fans, everybody, to enjoy what I hope will be a great fight.

How do you see the fight going with Van this time around?

It was only 20 seconds into the fight, and I could already see so many things. I was like, “My God, this is the level I’m at” It felt so good.

That’s the level I’m trying to reach right now, and I think I’m doing a very good job, maybe even better than last time.

That’s what matters to me. I’m super ready. And the best thing now is that I have the chance to become the champion.

In the last fight, he was trying to become the champion, while I was already the champion. But now he is the world champion, and I want to win that belt back.

Just like the first time, winning that belt is one of the only things I can think about. That’s what I want more than anything.

You were on an 8-fight win streak before the injury. What is the goal after this fight? Do you see yourself remaining very active?

I think that’s the only thing I can imagine right now, you know.

I think that’s the right thing to do. I’m in very good shape, but fighting is so crazy. He’s going to come forward and go after everything, so I really want to stay focused on this fight.

But yeah, like I said about Manel Kape, I think he’s one of the guys who deserves a shot at the belt. I want to keep things moving and make those fights happen.

Almost a year without fighting is too much for me. That’s a long time. I want to keep fighting and stay active.

We also have Ruffy vs Arman as the co-main event. Who are you backing for that fight?

Interesting fight, yeah. We saw Michael “MVP” Page in his last UFC fight, and I think he did a pretty good job.

I was thinking, why doesn’t the UFC put a really good striker in there with him? Let the show happen, you know? I don’t know. It doesn’t make much sense to put him in there with someone who’s going to rely heavily on grappling.

That’s what I was talking about with Ruffy. But if Ruffy wants to become the world champion, he needs to fight Arman. Arman has been chasing that championship for so long, and he’s never stopped. He’s a very strong fighter.

If you look at the fight I just watched with Benoît Saint Denis, I know Ruffy can continue to evolve his game, but if Arman watched that fight, he already has a game plan in his head. And the best thing Arman can do is wrestle.

I know Ruffy has very good hands. He’s very fast, he can hurt you on the feet, and he can put you down with one punch. But I think there’s a huge difference between Michael Chandler and Arman Tsarukyan.

Arman is a completely different level when it comes to wrestling and grappling, and that would be a very interesting matchup for Ruffy.

How would you see Ruffy / Arman fare against the champ Justin Gaethje?

Arman is really good, really intense. I really want to see it (Arman vs Gaethje). It’s one of those fights everybody wants to watch.

Arman has been training so much, I really think he deserves a fight for the belt. He’s been chasing that opportunity for a long time. He fights everybody, and he never backs down.

And Gaethje, my God. I was there watching the White House fight, and what Gaethje did was like watching a movie. You watch 25 minutes of that and you’re just amazed.

As a fan, I love the way he fights. I love his confidence. But honestly, I really didn’t think he had a chance against Ilia.

Fuck, bro, Gaethje is crazy. My God. I can’t even imagine it. If I’m Gaethje, I’d be retiring after that.

And then you get a guy from your country going to the White House, becoming the last American to win a belt and bringing it home. That was something special.

Last time we spoke, Ilia Topuria was on an incredible run, and was the P4P number. What did you think of his fight at The White House, and do you see him coming back and being as successful?

I think Topuria believed he could beat Justin Gaethje in the first or second round. But Gaethje is ready to die in there. He’s strong, he’s tough, and he has his family and his country behind him.

I really think the fight could have been over in the second round. I thought Topuria could get the choke, take the back, or finish the fight somehow.

But he paid the price, you know? Gaethje made him pay. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I think he understands that he also lost the fight against himself in some ways. Of course, Gaethje won the fight, but I think there was too much confidence there.

He’s a humble guy, and he’s very aware of what it takes to fight, but I think he understands what happened. He can learn from it and change a lot of things.

I can tell you one thing: if you want to learn something, getting punched in the face can teach you a lot. You can think you’re the best in the world, then someone punches you in the face and you realise, “Shit, it’s not like that.”

That’s why I love this sport.

What did you think of Islam vs Garry? A lot of people have said Garry was too respectful, what are your thoughts?

That’s who he is. That’s the guy he’s always been. He fights like that, and I don’t think that’s going to change.

But I remember watching Carlos Prates fight Madalena, I think it was Madalena. And his corner was screaming at him, “He’s not your friend! He’s not your friend!”

I don’t know if you remember that, but they were saying it in Portuguese: “He’s not your friend! He’s not your friend!” And then Carlos went out there and kicked his ass.

I don’t know if that was the reason, but maybe it’s something like that. Everybody has a limit in life.

Do you think some people maybe don’t have that switch? They might be mixed martial artists, but they’re not necessarily fighters.

That’s why you don’t see guys like me trying to trash-talk or create drama. At the end of the day, I’m the guy who’s going to be standing across from you in the Octagon. Words don’t matter.

And that’s the beautiful thing about this sport. I hear guys talking about who’s better all the time. It’s like if you play soccer and say, “I play soccer better than you.” Okay, I don’t fucking care. I can still beat your ass. That’s what matters to me.

It’s like asking, “Who’s the best soccer player? Cristiano Ronaldo? Someone else?” I don’t know. But on September 19th, you’re going to see Pantoja and Joshua in the Octagon. Then you’re going to find out who’s the best.

Amanda Nunes specifically returned from retirement to face former training partner Kayla Harrison - do you think this fight will still happen? And in terms of the GWOAT, is Nunes No.1 in your opinion?

I love both. I really enjoy training with Kayla Harrison right now. She’s one of the best athletes in the gym. She trains so hard, and she’s a two-time Olympic champion. That makes a big difference in a gym like American Top Team.

And of course, I’ve learned so much from Amanda. I always like to say that I learned how to be a champion from Amanda. She’s amazing.

When I first arrived at American Top Team, she was already a champion. I would see her training and watch the way she worked, and I learned a lot from her, not just as a fighter, but as a person too.

And that fight is amazing. It’s one of the biggest fights we can watch right now. But I don’t know, I think this fight could happen in December.

It would be amazing. There are so many great fights.

What is your prediction for your fight? Round and method of victory?

My prediction? I win. I win.

If Josh Van can take it to the judges, good for him. I respect that. But I’ve trained so hard to put on a great show. I’m going to keep training hard because I don’t want to fall short again. I want to make my show happen.

I think I was really frustrated last time because I didn’t get to show everything I had. But now I have more control over myself, too, and I just want to enjoy the moment.

Of course, we still have a couple of weeks, and I have a few more days of hard work. But most of the hard work is already done. Of course, you still have to make weight, and I respect that part of the process.

But now I just want to enjoy myself and enjoy everything I’ve done to get here.

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