Tag: Alexandre Pantoja

RIZIN Star Kai Asakura Responds to Fan Backlash Over UFC 310 Title Fight Against Alexandre Pantoja

RIZIN Star Kai Asakura Responds to Fan Backlash Over UFC 310 Title Fight Against Alexandre PantojaRIZIN star Kai Asakura will make his UFC debut on December 7 when the promotion closes out its pay-per-view…

RIZIN Star Kai Asakura Responds to Fan Backlash Over UFC 310 Title Fight Against Alexandre Pantoja

RIZIN star Kai Asakura will make his UFC debut on December 7 when the promotion closes out its pay-per-view scheduled in Las Vegas.

As announced by CEO Dana White, Asakura will challenge reigning flyweight world champion Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 310 co-main event, a bit of news that has some fans frustrated.

Kai Asakura

While it’s becoming more common for fighters to earn a title opportunity with just a few fights under their belt i.e. Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka, seeing a newcomer immediately step into the title picture and challenge an established champion while simultaneously skipping a line of top 10 contenders is unusual, even for UFC standards.

As a result, fans are lashing out about Asakura’s “unearned” opportunity, but that’s certainly nothing new for the two-time RIZIN titleholder.

Kai Asakura

“A lot of people say I can’t win a title match, but I’ve overcome similar adversity and I believe I can win, and I’ll prove it in the cage,” Asakura wrote in a translated post on X.

Brandon Royval Reacts to Kai Asakura’s Title Opportunity

One man who will be watching Pantoja vs. Asakura very closely is Brandon Royval. The one-time title challenger secured a big win over Tatsuro Taira in the UFC Vegas 98 headliner on Saturday, re-establishing himself as the division’s top-ranked contender.

In all likelihood, he’ll fight the winner of December’s flyweight title tilt.

2178155838.0

Asked for his take on Asakura’s opportunity during the post-fight press conference, Royval said:

”I’ve been watching Kai Asakura for a while, I think he’s sick. I think there’s a lot of cool things, he’s yet to make flyweight. So I’ll be there and I’ll be ready just in case he doesn’t. That being said, I’ll give the man his roses, I think he brings a lot of excitement to the division but I think if Pantoja grapples him at all it’s gonna be over”

Asakura is 21-4 in his mixed martial arts career with 13 wins by way of knockout and three submissions. He is a two-time RIZIN bantamweight champion and was a 2021 Bantamweight World Grand Prix runner-up.

UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Headlines UFC Vegas 100

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards. With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. Between Monday, October 7, and […]

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Headlines UFC Vegas 100 at MMA News.

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

Between Monday, October 7, and Sunday, October 13, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:

A number of lower-profile matchups also came together. For those, check out this week’s quick hits:

But it wasn’t all positive, with two fights being adjusted. For those, see below:

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Headlines UFC Vegas 100 at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov Set For UFC 310 Main Event, Pantoja Defense Co-headlines

The UFC will close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024 with two major championship fights in Las Vegas on December 7. With the final quarter of this year well underway, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is beginning to fill the remaining slots on its fight schedule. And in two of the most prominent ones now […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov Set For UFC 310 Main Event, Pantoja Defense Co-headlines at MMA News.

The UFC will close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024 with two major championship fights in Las Vegas on December 7.

With the final quarter of this year well underway, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is beginning to fill the remaining slots on its fight schedule. And in two of the most prominent ones now sit reigning titleholders.

UFC CEO Dana White took to social media on Saturday to announce the headline bouts for UFC 310, the promotion’s final PPV of the year.

Closing out 2024 in style, a highly anticipated welterweight title fight between newly crowned champion Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) and undefeated challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0) will top the lineup inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

There will also be title stakes in the co-headliner, as flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) returns for his second defense of the year and third overall. Having turned away the threats posed by Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg, “The Cannibal” will next share the cage with a newcomer in former Rizin champ Kai Asakura (21-4).

Muhammad captured the 170-pound gold in enemy territory this past July, beating Leon Edwards in dominant fashion to extend his unbeaten run to 11 straight fights. Rakhmonov, meanwhile, has won all six of his Octagon outings to date, submitting both Geoff Neal and Stephen Thompson in his most recent fights.

Pantoja is deeper into his reign on the throne at 125 pounds, having held the crown since a memorable win over Brandon Moreno in the summer of 2023. After a scare against Australia’s Erceg in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year, the Brazilian will look to increase his grip on the title against a highly regarded debutant in Japan’s Asakura.

White also confirmed that Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov and Vicente Luque vs. Nick Diaz — matchups postponed from cards in October and August, respectively — have been rescheduled for the same event.

With these additions, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 310 on Dec. 7 are as follows:

  • Belal Muhammad (C) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (welterweight championship main event)
  • Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs. Kai Asakura (flyweight championship co-main event)
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov (heavyweight)
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling (featherweight)
  • Vicente Luque vs. Nick Diaz (welterweight)
  • Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba (women’s strawweight)
  • Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes (light heavyweight)
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin (welterweight)
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper (lightweight)
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van (flyweight)

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov Set For UFC 310 Main Event, Pantoja Defense Co-headlines at MMA News.

Brandon Royval Sees “Strong Possibility” UFC Newcomer Could Beat Alexandre Pantoja

Brandon Royval is set to return this weekend at the UFC Apex where he faces the undefeated Tatsuro Taira in the main event. Even after beating Brandon Moreno last time out to cement his status as the #1-ranked flyweight in the division, handing Taira his first win may not be enough for him to secure […]

Continue Reading Brandon Royval Sees “Strong Possibility” UFC Newcomer Could Beat Alexandre Pantoja at MMA News.

Brandon Royval is set to return this weekend at the UFC Apex where he faces the undefeated Tatsuro Taira in the main event.

Even after beating Brandon Moreno last time out to cement his status as the #1-ranked flyweight in the division, handing Taira his first win may not be enough for him to secure a second title shot.

“Raw Dog” has already suffered two defeats to the current champion, Alexandre Pantoja, which makes it significantly harder to put him straight back in.

Royval spoke in a recent interview with Inside Fighting about how the talk of who will be Pantoja’s next challenger has been pretty quiet.

After he faced a surprising opponent in Steve Erceg last time out, it would have likely been Muhammad Mokaev as the next in line if he was still with the promotion.

Royval, however, believes that it could be a new arrival into the division that is next for the champ.

Brandon Royval Says That Kai Asakura Could Be The Man To Beat Alexandre Pantoja

Earlier this year in June, the UFC was announced to have signed RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura.

The 30-year old Japanese star has got a huge fan following back in his native country and by all accounts, would be jumping in at the deep end once he arrived inside the Octagon.

Royval took this as him facing Pantoja down at 125-pounds, as he told Inside Fighting.

“I mean I thought it was Kai Asakura. I thought that was who the next fight would be and I was like, if I win this fight, I’m just gonna call out Pantoja or Asakura. But I mean I’ve still never heard anything so maybe it’s like I’m just starting these rumours myself.”

Royval was also asked how he would feel about someone new entering the promotion and jumping right into a title shot.

His response was that someone new being the champion would help his case for another title shot and in his opinion, Asakura would have a good chance of beating Pantoja.

“Oh I don’t give a s***, as long as it doesn’t affect my road, it would be dope if he wins because if he wins, I for sure get the next title shot. In my opinion, I don’t really care. I just try to get in there when I fit in there so I think if he wins and beats Alexandre Pantoja, which I think is a strong possibility, then I could go fight Kai Asakura.” 

Read also: Leon Edwards’ Brother On Loss To Belal Muhammad: ‘Always Had Unfair Situations Given To Him!’

Continue Reading Brandon Royval Sees “Strong Possibility” UFC Newcomer Could Beat Alexandre Pantoja at MMA News.

Steve Erceg Highlights Biggest Lesson Learned From Alexandre Pantoja Title Loss Ahead Of UFC 305 Return

Having narrowly fallen short of the UFC flyweight title three months ago, Steve Erceg is returning to action with the knowledge that he can compete with the elite of the division. Erceg, who currently occupies the #7 spot at 125 pounds, will be among the home fighters featuring at this weekend’s UFC 305 pay-per-view, which […]

Continue Reading Steve Erceg Highlights Biggest Lesson Learned From Alexandre Pantoja Title Loss Ahead Of UFC 305 Return at MMA News.

Having narrowly fallen short of the UFC flyweight title three months ago, Steve Erceg is returning to action with the knowledge that he can compete with the elite of the division.

Erceg, who currently occupies the #7 spot at 125 pounds, will be among the home fighters featuring at this weekend’s UFC 305 pay-per-view, which goes down inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

“AstroBoy” has been able to make a relatively quick turnaround to compete in his city, returning after emerging from Brazil without the flyweight title in his possession this past May.

The 29-year-old received a surprise title shot after just three fights in the UFC, looking to cash in on favorable circumstances at the expense of champion Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 301 main event.

While unsuccessful in that endeavor, Erceg had plenty of positives to take away from the five-round defeat, and he’ll carry them into his return against Kai Kara-France on August 17…

Erceg On UFC 301 Loss: ‘I Learned That I Am Near The Top’

During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Erceg looked ahead to his fifth outing on MMA’s biggest stage and chance to bounce back from his first UFC defeat.

When asked about his opening experience competing with UFC gold on the line, “AstroBoy” spoke of the added confidence he has having proven that he can hang with the best possible opposition in the flyweight division.

“I learned that I am near the top of the division,” Erceg said. “I always believed it, but even though I lost, the fact I was able to go five rounds, I did get up, he didn’t take my back, I was able to land; there was a lot of good things that came out of it.

“Also, obviously, a lot of things that I did wrong or he did well that I have to improve so that next time I get an opportunity like that, I can go there not as a good effort, but as a world champion,” Erceg continued. “That’s probably the biggest things I learned.”

Erceg’s first step toward working his way back toward Pantoja and the gold in “The Cannibal’s” possession comes this weekend.

And with a leading contender in Muhammad Mokaev being removed from the picture after his shock exit from the UFC, “AstroBoy” may not be far from a second shot given the competitive nature of his performance in Rio de Janeiro and the high ranking of his next opponent.

Continue Reading Steve Erceg Highlights Biggest Lesson Learned From Alexandre Pantoja Title Loss Ahead Of UFC 305 Return at MMA News.

Pantoja’s Coach: Title Defense Against Former Two-Weight Champion ‘Doesn’t Make Any Sense’

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja’s coach, Marcos “Parrumpa” da Matta of American Top Team, recently weighed on the potential opponents for “The Cannibal’s” title defense upon his return to the Octagon. Pantoja successfully defended his title for the second time with a commanding unanimous decision victory over Steve Erceg in the main event of UFC […]

Continue Reading Pantoja’s Coach: Title Defense Against Former Two-Weight Champion ‘Doesn’t Make Any Sense’ at MMA News.

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja’s coach, Marcos “Parrumpa” da Matta of American Top Team, recently weighed on the potential opponents for “The Cannibal’s” title defense upon his return to the Octagon.

Pantoja successfully defended his title for the second time with a commanding unanimous decision victory over Steve Erceg in the main event of UFC 301 this past May in front of his home crowd at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

During a media interaction at UFC International Fight Week in June, Pantoja told journalists that he is already negotiating a major fight for his return against an opponent that “no one expects.”

While the Brazilian remained tight-lipped about the specific contender, his coach now has a particular name in mind…

‘Parrumpa’ Plays Matchmaker For Pantoja

During a recent interview with Sherdog.com, da Matta delved into the potential opponents for Pantoja’s next fight. The seasoned MMA coach highlighted that the most logical contender for Pantoja is the undefeated Japanese flyweight sensation Tatsuro Taira.

“I think that the most natural names will be—I mean, I think, to be honest, that the name that makes more sense right now is Tatsuro Taira,” da Matta said. “Because he’s already had some fights in the UFC; he finished [Alex] Perez. I’m not gonna say it was a fluke, but it was an injury. Nonetheless, it was a finish.”

He also explained why other contenders, such as Amir Albazi and former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo, do not make sense for Pantoja’s next title defense.

“I don’t think Albazi is ready. He’s been a long time getting hurt, trying to get better, so I don’t think he’s in a position to go for a title shot. His last fight was a while ago, and a lot of people thought he lost… I think Cejudo doesn’t make any sense for the UFC because he retired when he was on top. He beat Dominick Cruz, which was amazing, then retired. He came back, wasn’t that great, lost, and went back to retirement. Now he’s going to come back in the weight division below 135 [pounds] and fight for the belt? And then what happens if he wins? Is he going to defend, or is he going to retire again?”

Following his TKO victory over Perez at a Fight Night event in June, Taira expressed his desire for a title shot against “The Cannibal” in 2024, aiming to become the first Japanese champion in UFC history. He is set to headline an upcoming event at the UFC Apex against former title challenger Brandon Royval on October 12.

Continue Reading Pantoja’s Coach: Title Defense Against Former Two-Weight Champion ‘Doesn’t Make Any Sense’ at MMA News.