Alexandre Pantoja calls out Brandon Moreno after dominant win at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Gastelum
UFC flyweight Alexandre Pantoja had an impressive outing at UFC Vegas 34 as he defeated fellow 125-pound contender Brandon Royval via submission in the second round.
The fight opened the event's main card. After sizing each other up for the first couple of minutes in the opening frame, both fighters started trading shots.
In the second round, 'The Cannibal' got ahold of Royval's neck and submitted him via a rear-naked choke. With the win, Alexandre Pantoja is now riding a two-fight winning streak in the UFC.
During his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, 'The Cannibal' called out current UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who was in attendance, for a title scrap in December.
The 31-year-old started his interview by mentioning the two wins he already has over 'The Assassin Baby'. Pantoja and Moreno faced off for the first time in the 24th season of UFC’s cult show The Ultimate Fighter. It was an exhibition fight that ended with a submission victory for the Brazilian in the second round of the bout.
Their second encounter took place at UFC Fight Night 129. Pantoja once again managed to get the better of Moreno as he secured a dominant unanimous decision victory, with two of the judges scoring the contest 30-26.
"This is a good record, eh? 30-26 and one little choke. But I like you [Brandon] Moreno, you know that. I pass some time with him at TUF... I'm happy that I make this guy better... But now is my time Moreno, okay? I see you in December? You think it's good? December's good for you? If it's good for you, it's good for me, too," said Alexandre Pantoja in his post-fight interview.
MMA Twitter reacts to Alexandre Pantoja's win over Brandon Royval
With a comfortable submission win over Brandon Royval at UFC Vegas 34, Alexandre Pantoja has made a strong case for himself to be next in line for a championship fight.
UFC fighters took to Twitter to show their appreciation for 'The Cannibal'.
While Herbert Burns was impressed with Pantoja's submission, his older brother Gilbert speculated on whether the 31-year-old should get a title shot.
Former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo expressed interest in a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja.
Fighters like Aljamain Sterling, Tatiana Suarez and Belal Muhammad were all praise for the Brazilian.