Michael Bisping, Nick Peet say Alexandre Pantoja should be higher on pound-for-pound list after UFC 310 win
Published 10/12/2024 at 11:06 GMT
Alexandre Pantoja impressed again at UFC 310 as he beat Kai Asakura with a second-round stoppage. Pantoja, 34, is now riding a seven-fight win streak and hasn’t lost a fight since July 2020. Michael Bisping and Nick Peet praised the Brazilian on the UFC Review Show while Bisping also spoke about the chances of Pantoja getting his "dream fight" against Demetrious Johnson.
‘One of the top five fighters in the sport' - Peet and Bisping say Pantoja is one of the best P4P
Video credit: TNT Sports
Michael Bisping and Nick Peet both made the case that Alexandre Pantoja deserves "more props" and should be higher in the pound-for-pound list following his UFC 310 victory over Kai Asakura.
The Brazilian forced Asakura to submit in the second round as he defended his UFC flyweight title for a third time.
Pantoja, 34, is now riding a seven-fight win streak, having beaten Brandon Royval twice, Manel Kape, Alex Perez, Brandon Moreno, Steve Erceg and now, added Asakura to his resume.
He hasn’t lost a fight since July 2020 and is 11th in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
"When you look at the skillset he can get it done everywhere," said TNT expert Bisping on the UFC Review Show.
"Really solid wrestling, ridiculously high-level jujitsu, and the striking is now catching up. He does have power and aggression, he is a natural fighter. I saw him when he walked into the arena and he was locked in, he was so focused.
"He is that good and he should be higher on the pound-for-pound list and right now I can’t see anybody that is taking that belt from him anytime soon."
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'We need to do something' - Where can the challenge for Pantoja come from if not Johnson?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Peet thinks Pantoja is "one of the top five fighters in the sport".
"He is getting better. The hands are catching up with the jujitsu side of things, his striking is a lot more calculated and he is throwing with real intentions.
"Suddenly, out of nowhere, he is introducing knees to the head, knees to the body, that’s all new stuff that we are seeing him add to his game.
"It’s about time we start giving him props on the pound-for-pound list. He often gets forgotten about and is pretty deep on top pound-for-pound lists, but I think there is a real argument that Pantoja heading into 2025 is one of the top five fighters in the sport."
Pantoja called out former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson following his win over Asakura, saying it would be his "dream fight".
Johnson, 38, retired from the sport in September and has said he has "no interest" in returning.
Bisping, though, is not ruling it out completely.
"I like the callout because now the conversation can start. Demetrious Johnson is extremely popular and we all know how talented he is and his resume speaks for itself. Now the conversations start and you never know.
"The UFC might come back with a really good offer. It’s not going to be a life-changing cheque but they might throw him a nice payday. Sign me up!"
The new year starts with UFC 311 on January 18 in Los Angeles.
The event is headlined by a rematch between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, while Merab Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight belt against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event.
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Highlights: Pantoja submits Asakura to retain flyweight title
Video credit: TNT Sports
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