Alexandre Pantoja is getting plenty of plaudits after UFC 317 — some more bold than others.
In the first of two title fights at Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas, Pantoja submitted Kai Kara-France to further enhance his already illustrious legacy.
Pantoja has cemented himself as one of the greatest flyweights of all-time with his reign, which has now moved past four successful defenses in the two years he has held the title.
While that tally of retentions remains some way behind that of Demetrious Johnson, some are already awarding Pantoja with the best ever tag over the retired legend.
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Adriano Moraes brands Alexandre Pantoja ‘much better’ than Demetrious Johnson
Johnson has long been included by many alongside the likes of Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva in the overall UFC GOAT discussion.
With that in mind, the American’s status as the greatest flyweight in history has been largely unrivaled and without debate. After all, ‘Mighty Mouse’ did shatter multiple records across a six-year title reign that included 11 consecutive defenses — the most in UFC history.
But not everyone sees Johnson as being alone on the 125-pound mountaintop.
In fact, one man who shared the cage with him three times would instead bestow the crown onto the head of his American Top Team stablemate, Pantoja.
“Pantoja (is) much better than DJ, change my mind,” Adriano Moraes wrote on X.
Moraes, a former three-time ONE Championship flyweight titleholder, memorably became the first and only man to knock Johnson out after connecting with a brutal knee at ONE on TNT 1 in April 2021.
‘Mighty Mouse’ went on to exact his revenge, sleeping the Brazilian with a knee of his own in their rematch the following year. Johnson then won his trilogy fight against Moraes on US soil in May 2023.
Alexandre Pantoja passed Demetrious Johnson to secure a flyweight record at UFC 317
Pantoja’s latest victory secured him plenty of accolades, including the status as the longest-reigning active male champion in the UFC.
But ‘The Cannibal’ also made divisional history, as his 14th success set a new record for the most wins in the UFC’s 125-pound weight class.
Saturday’s performance pushed Pantoja above Johnson in that race, with ‘Mighty Mouse’ accumulating 13 flyweight victories in the Octagon before moving to compete across the world in ONE Championship.
The Brazilian faces no threat from second place when it comes to keeping the record as the winningest flyweight. Johnson retired from MMA as ONE’s 135-pound champ in an emotional speech at ONE 168 in 2024.