The once overlooked and undervalued Ultimate Fighting Championship men’s flyweight division is now ripe with talent—replete with fierce competitors from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the heap. Being champion of a division glutted with hungry, viable contenders comes with its fair share of pressure. UFC 125-pound king Alexandre Pantoja thrives when the odds are stacked against him and delivers when the pressure is on. A divisional stalwart who was making stealthy moves since 2017, “The Cannibal” has finally earned his merited recognition with the regal gold wrapped around his waist. The champion’s next challenge is being hatched almost 13,500 kilometers away in the Land Down Under, as determined Australian contender Steve Erceg, on an 11-fight win streak, travels to enemy territories to measure the might of Pantoja’s reign.
5 Defining Moments: Alexandre Pantoja
