Right, so Alexandre Pantoja has gone and done it again, as we predicted, hasn’t he? Another title defence, another victim left gasping for air on the canvas, and frankly, it’s about bloody time people started paying attention to what this Brazilian is building in the flyweight division. When was the last time we saw a champion so systematically dismantle contenders with such clinical efficiency?

Saturday night at UFC 317 saw Pantoja wrap up Kai Kara-France like a Christmas present nobody wanted, submitting the Kiwi via rear-naked choke in the third round. Fourth title defence in the bag, and the man’s now got more UFC flyweight wins, finishes, and submissions than anyone in history – yes, even more than Demetrious Johnson in those specific categories. That’s not just impressive, that’s bloody remarkable for a division most casual fans can’t be bothered to watch.

The Flyweight Division Finally Has Its Proper Champion

Look, I’ve been banging on about this for ages – the flyweight division has been criminally underrated since DJ buggered off to ONE Championship. But Pantoja? He’s exactly what this weight class needed. No flashy Instagram nonsense, no manufactured drama, just pure fighting excellence wrapped up in a compact Brazilian package who treats opponents like they owe him money.

Kara-France came into this fight with all the confidence of a man who’d forgotten he was facing a submission specialist. The takedown came early, the control was absolute, and by the time that rear-naked choke was locked in, it was less a fight and more a masterclass in how to systematically break down an opponent’s will to continue breathing.

Joshua Van Emerges as the Next Challenger

Before Pantoja was busy redecorating the octagon with Kara-France’s consciousness, Joshua Van was putting on an absolute clinic against Brandon Royval. These two madmen threw more leather than a Manchester United away day, combining for 419 punches – the most the UFC has ever recorded in a three-round scrap. Van took the decision and immediately started eyeballing Pantoja like a hungry man staring at the last sandwich.

Van’s on a six-fight win streak and just had two fights in three weeks – the kind of activity that would make most fighters curl up in a corner crying about their recovery protocols. But not this lad. He’s out here treating the UFC like his personal gymnasium, and frankly, that’s exactly the sort of mentality you need to challenge someone like Pantoja. And it looks like that fight will happen based on Pantoja’s post fight interview.

Building a Legacy in MMA’s Most Overlooked Division

Pantoja is systematically working through every legitimate contender, breaking records, and doing it all. The man called for a higher placement on the pound-for-pound rankings after this performance, and honestly, he’s got a point. When you’re breaking records held by fighters who were previously considered legends, when you’re finishing fights rather than point-fighting your way through title defences, you deserve recognition. The UFC’s lighter divisions have always been about pure skill over spectacle, and Pantoja embodies that perfectly.

Van versus Pantoja is going to be fascinating – you’ve got the hungry challenger who just proved he can take ungodly amounts of punishment whilst dishing it back out, facing the most complete champion the flyweight division has seen since Johnson ruled the roost. Van’s got youth and momentum, but Pantoja’s got that Brazilian jiu-jitsu pedigree that turns fights into chess matches where only one player knows all the rules.

So here’s the question for all you MMA scholars out there – is Pantoja quietly building the most impressive modern title reign in the UFC, or does the flyweight division’s lack of mainstream appeal mean his achievements will always be undervalued compared to the heavyweight acts?