MMA analyst makes feelings known about Alexandre Pantoja giving Kai Asakura title shot on promotional debut at UFC 310: "That's straight dog to me"
At UFC 310, Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight title against promotional debutant Kai Asakura in the main event. This willingness to face a newcomer for his next title defense has earned the Brazilian praise from renowned MMA analysts Din Thomas and Alan Jouban, both of whom were once UFC fighters.
The pair touched on the event headliner on SiriusXM's Fight Nation podcast, with Thomas heaping praise on Pantoja. While he acknowledged that Pantoja is often applauded for his hard-nosed fighting style, Thomas believes there's more reason to praise him this time.
"We called him a dog and I think that's an understatement when we're talking about Pantoja because we're just looking at his fighting style when we say he's a dog. But think about the position he's been put in to headline this card. Of course, Belal Muhammad was supposed to, but that didn't happen so Pantoja is headlining this card and risking his belt, he's putting his belt on the line against a guy who's never fought in the UFC before. Think about that."
Furthermore, Thomas makes a distinction between Pantoja's willingness to take on all comers and the general reluctance seen in most fighters to accept risky matchups, even when they involve otherwise deserving fighters like Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards prior to their championship ascensions.
"Compare that to guys who refused to fight Belal Muhammad, who was on a 9-fight winning streak. And even before that, Leon Edwards, who was on a 9-fight winning streak. Guys were like, 'Oh, they didn't earn it. They didn't deserve it. They didn't earn it.' This guy comes in, zero fights in the UFC, and Pantoja's like, 'Sign him up. I'm gonna finish him.' If that doesn't scream dog to you or a guy who's gonna put his life on the line for our entertainment, I don't know what to call it. That's straight dog to me."
Check out Din Thomas' thoughts on Alexandre Pantoja:
UFC 310 will mark Pantoja's third title defense and he will hope to emerge successful to close out a stellar 2024.
Alexandre Pantoja has been in a similar position before
UFC 301 is famous for featuring the return of the great José Aldo, who styled on Jonathan Martinez. However, it also famously saw Alexandre Pantoja defend his flyweight title in the headliner against an opponent many thought was undeserving.
Check out Alexandre Pantoja getting his hand raised at UFC 301:
Steve Erceg, then ranked #10 in the division, faced the Brazilian in a back-and-forth thriller that saw Pantoja win via unanimous decision after five hard rounds.