Tag: Alexandre Pantoja

“I’m Not the Best Flyweight Anymore” Demetrious Johnson Responds to Pantoja’s Callout with Modesty

“I’m Not the Best Flyweight Anymore” Demetrious Johnson Responds to Pantoja's Callout with ModestyMighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson has officially responded to the callout issued by UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC…

“I’m Not the Best Flyweight Anymore” Demetrious Johnson Responds to Pantoja's Callout with Modesty

Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson has officially responded to the callout issued by UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 and just says that he’s not the best anymore.

Demetrious Johnson Not the Best says ‘Mighty Mouse’

Former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson held onto the title for a record-setting 11 consecutive defenses before making the move to ONE Championship, where he continued to prove his dominance by winning the ONE Flyweight World Championship and retired earlier this year.

Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja captured the UFC Flyweight title in July 2023 by defeating Brandon Moreno and has since defended it successfully twice. He has been steadily establishing his own legacy in the flyweight division. After his last title defense at UFC 310, Pantoja called out ‘Mighty Mouse.’ Demetrious Johnson.

Dana White salutes Demetrious Johnson after retirement: 'I was defending him from the fans'

In response to Pantoja’s recent callout, Demetrious Johnson was unequivocal about his decision to retire. Speaking about his choice to leave the sport, ‘Mighty Mouse’ explained, “When I made that decision, that I don’t care to fight anymore, I gave myself a full-blown year, a full-blown-year, to see if I would miss it. And I didn’t miss it.” He emphasized that his decision to retire wasn’t about avoiding competition but about creating a more sustainable future for himself.

alexandre pantoja

‘Mighty Mouse’ continued:

“What I thought was more badass than being the best fighter in the world, I think it’s more badass to build an empire. If you’re an athlete and you are winning and you rely on the money you earn from winning, once you lose that fight half your pay is gone. Once any champion loses a fight, half their pay is gone. But that’s the beautiful thing that made me want to retire is that I don’t want to rely on my body or me being the best in the world in order to pay my bills.”

While acknowledging Pantoja’s impressive career, Johnson made it clear that he has no intention of returning to the sport. “I’m so happy for Alexandre Pantoja. I’m happy he just got his third title defense. I am not the best flyweight in the world anymore… And I’m happy to be retired. I ain’t going to be no Jose Aldo, I ain’t going to be no Donald Cerrone coming back to fighting. Ain’t no point to coming back to fighting.”

Fans will have to settle for watching Pantoja continue to build his legacy as the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion, while Johnson enjoys his well-deserved retirement.

Demetrious Johnson Reacts To Alexandre Pantoja’s Callout At UFC 310

It doesn’t appear that even the unstoppable Alexandre Pantoja can draw UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson out of retirement. Pantoja further enhanced his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this weekend, emerging victorious from the UFC 310 pay-per-view main event inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Having begun his reign with successful defenses against Brandon […]

It doesn’t appear that even the unstoppable Alexandre Pantoja can draw UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson out of retirement.

Pantoja further enhanced his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this weekend, emerging victorious from the UFC 310 pay-per-view main event inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Having begun his reign with successful defenses against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg after dethroning Brandon Moreno in 2023, “The Cannibal” was dealt a unique challenge on Saturday night. Sharing the cage with him was a promotional newcomer in Kai Asakura.

The former Rizin bantamweight champion arrived with an impressive résumé and plenty of hype, and an early flying knee confirmed the Japanese star as an exciting addition to the division. But it wasn’t to be for Asakura in his debut, as he fell by way of submission to Pantoja in round two.

With that, Pantoja has firmly placed himself among the all-time greats and brought about some uncertainty over fresh opponent options in 2025. He proposed a solution to that during his Octagon interview, however, calling out “Mighty Mouse.”

Johnson — who enjoyed a record-breaking, six-year flyweight reign in the UFC before finding success in ONE Championship — was quick to react to “The Cannibal’s” comments, reiterating that he intends to stick to the retirement he announced at ONE 168 in Denver this past September.

“Guys I got offered 2 million dollars to fight!! I turned it down I don’t care to fight anymore YouTube video dropping soon,” Johnson wrote on X.

Of course, beyond just Johnson’s lack of interest in a comeback, there would be the small matter of his contractual situation with ONE, Asia’s largest martial arts organization. The likelihood of the promotion and its CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, releasing “Mighty Mouse” for a UFC return against Pantoja would appear extremely slim.

That hasn’t stopped fans getting behind Pantoja’s callout, though, with many pushing for the legendary former champ to make another walk to the cage in his illustrious career.

‘Ok, Demetrious Johnson Next Challenger’ – Fans React As Alexandre Pantoja Sleeps Kai Asakura At UFC 310 With Rear-Naked Choke

Despite the hype Kai Asakura came into the UFC from RIZIN with, Alexandre Pantoja was able to pull off a flawless victory in the main event of UFC 310, winning by submission. The action started hot and heavy, with the reigning flyweight champion absorbing a knee from Asakura and landing a hard right hand on […]

Despite the hype Kai Asakura came into the UFC from RIZIN with, Alexandre Pantoja was able to pull off a flawless victory in the main event of UFC 310, winning by submission.

The action started hot and heavy, with the reigning flyweight champion absorbing a knee from Asakura and landing a hard right hand on the former RIZIN bantamweight titleholder. “The Cannibal” was able to score the takedown and got the better of the striking exchanges during the round, and he was on the front foot for most of that duration.

Pantoja got back to work in the second, managing to scramble and pin his Japanese opponent against the fence. He then scored a takedown and got a body lock in before looking for the rear-naked choke. The Brazilian locked it in and Asakura passed out trying to break out of the choke, giving the win and another successful defense to Pantoja.

Alexandre Pantoja Puts On Masterclass Performance In Successful Defense vs. UFC Debutant Kai Asakura

Pantoja captured the UFC flyweight championship with a decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 last year. He retained the title with decision wins over Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg at UFC 296 and UFC 301, respectively.

Asakura, meanwhile, originally won the RIZIN bantamweight championship with a knockout of Hiromasa Ougikubo at RIZIN 23 in August 2020. He dropped the title to Kyoji Horiguchi that December but regained it with a win over Juan Archuleta at RIZIN 45 last New Year’s Eve. That win marked Asakura’s final fight in RIZIN before jumping over to the UFC.

Though Asakura was more known as a bantamweight during his time in Japan, he did compete as a flyweight between 2015 and 2017.

VIDEO: UFC 310 Post-Fight Press Conference After Pantoja, Rakhmonov’s Headline Wins

The UFC 310 pay-per-view recently concluded, and MMA News has you covered with the post-fight press conference in Las Vegas. T-Mobile Arena played host to Octagon action on Dec. 7, as the mixed martial arts leader closed out its PPV schedule for 2024 with a stacked lineup that featured a championship, top contenders, experienced veterans, […]

The UFC 310 pay-per-view recently concluded, and MMA News has you covered with the post-fight press conference in Las Vegas.

T-Mobile Arena played host to Octagon action on Dec. 7, as the mixed martial arts leader closed out its PPV schedule for 2024 with a stacked lineup that featured a championship, top contenders, experienced veterans, and some promising prospects.

Of note were victories for reigning UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja, top welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, ranked featherweight Bryce Mitchell, “Korean Superboy” Dooho Choi and the undefeated Movsar Evloev.

And before attention turns to next weekend’s year-ending UFC Fight Night in Tampa, Florida, there remains some business to attend to backstage at UFC 310.

Shortly after the main event’s ending, Dana White will appear in front of the media to reveal the recipients of the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses before answering questions. The victorious fighters from UFC 310 will also take queries from the press in reaction to their performances.

With that said, see below for a live stream of the UFC 310 post-fight press conference via the UFC’s official YouTube channel, commencing at 1:15 AM ET.

UFC 310 Results & Highlights: Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Asakura

UFC 310 took place tonight from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!  In the main event, Alexandre Pantoja put his flyweight title on the line against Kai Asakura. While in the co-main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov faced Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight matchup.  Make […]

UFC 310 took place tonight from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

In the main event, Alexandre Pantoja put his flyweight title on the line against Kai Asakura. While in the co-main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov faced Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight matchup. 

Make sure to catch all the UFC 310 results and highlights as they happen below! 

UFC 310 Results: Main Card

  • Flyweight Championship Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura via submission: R2, 2.05  
  • Welterweight Co-Main Event: Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Garry via unanimous decision (48-47×3)
  • Heavyweight: Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29) 
  • Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie via KO: R3, 0.39  
  • Featherweight: Dooho Choi def. Nate Landwehr via TKO: R3, 3.21

 
Preliminary Card

  • Light Heavyweight: Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith via TKO: R2, 4.46
  • Welterweight: Vicente Luque def. Themba Gorimbo via submission: R1, 0.52
  • Featherweight: Movsar Evloev def. Aljamain Sterling via unanimous decision (29-28×3) 
  • Welterweight: Bryan Battle def. Randy Brown via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29) 

 
Early Preliminary Card

  • Catchweight (195lbs): Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman via TKO: R2, 4.51
  • Flyweight: Joshua Van def. Cody Durden via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27) 
  • Welterweight: Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin via submission: R3, 1:53
  • Lightweight: Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida via submission: R1, 3.41
  • Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Lukasz Brzeski via TKO: R1, 4.51

Preliminary Card Highlights

Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Lukasz Brzeski

Kennedy Nzechukwu got the first finish of UFC 310 with a first-round TKO of Lukasz Brzeski in their heavyweight fight.

Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida

In this lightweight bout, Chase Hooper got it done with a first-round submission of Clay Guida.

Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin

In this welterweight bout, Michael Chiesa submitted Max Griffin with a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman

Eryk Anders got the win with a TKO of Chris Weidman in the second round of their catchweight bout.

Vicente Luque def. Themba Gorimbo

Vicente Luque locked in an anaconda choke to get the win against Themba Gorimbo.

Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith

Dominick Reyes earned his second win in a row with a TKO of Anthony Smith in the second round.

Main Card Highlights

Dooho Choi def. Nate Landwehr

Dooho Choi put on a stellar performance to kick off the main card, finishing Nate Landwehr by TKO in the third.

Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie

In this featherweight bout, Bryce Mitchell knocked out Kron Gracie with a vicious elbow in the third round.

Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov

In this heavyweight bout, Ciryl Gane earned a split decision win against Alexander Volkov.

Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Garry

In the co-main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov kept his unbeaten record intact with a decision win over Ian Garry

Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura

In the main event, Alexandre Pantoja retained his flyweight strap by submitting Kai Asakura in the second round.

UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura, Rakhmonov vs. Garry Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC 310 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada provides a chance for UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja to record his third successful title defense. After capturing the gold in July […]

UFC 310 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada provides a chance for UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja to record his third successful title defense.

After capturing the gold in July 2023 in a barnburner with Brandon Moreno, “The Cannibal” is next tasked with stalling promotional newcomer Kai Asakura’s ambitions of an immediate ascent to the 125-pound mountaintop.

The stakes will also be high in the co-main event, which will see top welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov look to defend his status as next in line for a shot at Belal Muhammad’s gold by blemishing the perfect record of fellow undefeated rising star Ian Garry.

Elsewhere on the UFC 310 card, ex-interim heavyweight champ Ciryl Gane runs it back with in-form Russian Alexander Volkov, light heavyweight veterans Dominick Reyes and Anthony Smith collide, and an important clash at 145 pounds goes down between Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling.

Ahead of the event, 27 of the 28 fighters successfully made weight, with Bryan Battle’s four-pound miss of the welterweight limit marking the sole indiscretion on the scale. Nevertheless, every fight is intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 7 PM ET.

UFC 310 Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream