Alexandre Pantoja and Kera Harrison are on different levels.
For UFC fans, Pantoja and Harrison are two of the absolute best fighters on the planet. But at their home gym, the top team in America, they are simply known as the two most difficult workers.
“Dan Lambert said there was no one the other day. ME and Kayla Harrison are the only two to do all classes, all drills,” Pantoja said in an interview after the UFC 317 game. “I’m always the most difficult worker in the room. I’m trying to be my best. I’m training the most in the gym.
“We have 100 fighters in the top team in America. I feel like I’m one of the training guys with the best fighters in the world. That’s amazing. I’m very inspiring at the gym. Kayla Harrison is a huge inspiration for us.
All the hard work from Pantoja was paid off once again at UFC 317. Stepping into the spotlight of the co-main event, “The Cannibal” sent challenger Kai Kara-France in the third round with a choke in the back.
Alexandre Pantoja is on the collision course with a red-hot Joshua Van
The victory not only served as Pantoja’s fourth flyweight title defense, but also engraved his name in history books, giving him the most finish in UFC flyweight history, surpassing both demetrious Johnson and Daveson Figueiredo.
As for what comes next, Pantoja has already embraced the challenge of stealing Myanmar’s senses. Joshua Van.
After securing an impressive third round TKO against Bruno Silva at UFC 316, Van returned inside the cage of UFC 317 with just three weeks of notice due to a clash with Brandon Loibal, a top-ranked candidate in the flyweight division. It was one of the biggest battles in UFC history as the van and “raw daugh” collided with each other from pillar to post for 15 minutes.
Ultimately, it was the van that came to the fore by the unanimous decision, setting the stage for a massive showdown with “The Cannibal” later this year.