EDMONTON – The UFC’s flyweight division has finally found some stability, and top-ranked contender Alexandre Pantoja, has already mapped out his next move.
He takes on Deiveison Figueiredo this Saturday at UFC 240, and with a win, would like to face Joseph Benavidez next for the interim flyweight title.
“If I win this fight, I want Benavidez,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “I think if Benavidez wants to fight Cejudo, he needs to fight me first. I want to fight Cejudo now. I think it’s a great opportunity to fight an Olympic gold medalist and a guy that has two belts.”
Pantoja (21-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is coming off an impressive first-round TKO finish of former flyweight title challenger Wilson Reis at UFC 236. He’s now taking on Figueiredo (15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who’s coming off a loss to Jussier Formiga at UFC on ESPN+ 6, but Pantoja knows how dangerous the formerly undefeated Figueiredo can be.
“Deiveison is a tough opponent,” Pantoja said. “He’s a very dangerous guy. He’s like a Brazilian warrior, like an old-school fighter. I’ve been training all my life for this fight.
“I think all the fights are for the belt because you need step after step to win. If I win this fight, I think I need to fight Benavidez for the interim belt and wait for Cejudo to come back.”
When asked what his thoughts were on fighting someone coming off a loss, Pantoja didn’t seem too bothered. He is well aware of Figueiredo’s resume and high-percentage finish rate.
“When you lose, I think you learn more than your victories,” Pantoja said. “You need to think about everything, and I think Deiveison has like 15 wins. This guy is dangerous, and in his record, he has a lot of knockouts in the first round.”
“I see ‘Daico,’ and I see something in me before. Aggressive guy. ‘I go to kill everyone.’ I have this, but my game, my mentality, changed at American Top Team. This team gave me everything, and I found my place in the world, and I’ll prove this in this fight.”
Flyweight and bantamweight champion Cejudo coached Pantoja on “The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions” season. The two formed a strong friendship after the show, training together in the past, and Pantoja has a lot of respect for “The Messenger.”
“Cejudo is a good friend, I love this guy,” Pantoja said. “I learned a lot from Cejudo – not just game, but mentality. I have this fight on Saturday, and I need to prove that I’m ready for Benavidez.
“All respect to Benavidez, but I’m feeling ready for the title, and I need to fight Benavidez.”
To hear more from Pantoja, check out the video above.
For more on UFC 240, check out the UFC schedule.
