#1 Flyweight
Brazil

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Alexandre Pantoja Record, stats and next fight

30-7-0 (W-L-D)

8Wins by knockout

12Wins by submission

10First round finishes

Portrait de Alexandre Pantoja, combattant de MMA — Photo : Sexto Round, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stats and record

37Pro fights

67%Finish rate

19UFC fights

8Title fights

7Performance bonuses

2Losing streak

Wins by method

KO / TKO8 (27 %)

Submission12 (40 %)

Decision10 (33 %)

Losses by method

KO / TKO1 (14 %)

Submission0 (0 %)

Decision6 (86 %)

Profile

Age: 36 years
Born: April 16, 1990
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Weight: 126 lbs (57 kg)
Reach: 68" (173 cm)
Stance: Orthodox
Division: Flyweight
Fighting out of: Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
Team: American Top Team
Trainer: Marcos "Parrumpinha" da Matta
UFC debut: January 28, 2017

Fight history

Loss

vs Joshua Van Title Bonus

UFC 331 · Sep 19, 2026 · Los Angeles, California, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Joshua Van

UFC 323 · Dec 6, 2025 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
TKO (arm injury)

Round
1

Time
0:26
Win

vs Kai Kara-France Title

UFC 317 · Jun 28, 2025 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
3

Time
1:54
Win

vs Kai Asakura Title Bonus

UFC 310 · Dec 7, 2024 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
2

Time
2:05
Win

vs Steve Erceg Title

UFC 301 · May 4, 2024 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Brandon Royval Title

UFC 296 · Dec 16, 2023 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Brandon Moreno Title Bonus

UFC 290 · Jul 8, 2023 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (split)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Alex Perez Bonus

UFC 277 · Jul 30, 2022 · Dallas, Texas, United States

Method
Submission (neck crank)

Round
1

Time
1:31

Show 29 earlier fights

Win

vs Brandon Royval Bonus

UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum · Aug 21, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
2

Time
1:46
Win

vs Manel Kape

UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov · Feb 6, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Askar Askarov

UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 · Jul 19, 2020 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Matt Schnell Bonus

UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie · Dec 21, 2019 · Busan, South Korea

Method
KO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:17
Loss

vs Deiveson Figueiredo Bonus

UFC 240 · Jul 27, 2019 · Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Wilson Reis

UFC 236 · Apr 13, 2019 · Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:58
Win

vs Ulka Sasaki

UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio · Nov 17, 2018 · Buenos Aires, Argentina

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
2:18
Win

vs Brandon Moreno

UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman · May 19, 2018 · Santiago, Chile

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Dustin Ortiz

UFC 220 · Jan 20, 2018 · Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Neil Seery

UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio · Jul 16, 2017 · Glasgow, Scotland

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
3

Time
2:31
Win

vs Eric Shelton

UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña · Jan 28, 2017 · Denver, Colorado, United States

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Damacio Page Title

RFA vs. Legacy FC 1 · Aug 5, 2015 · Robinsonville, Mississippi, United States

Method
Technical Submission (triangle choke)

Round
2

Time
5:00
Win

vs Matt Manzanares Title

RFA 18 · Dec 9, 2014 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
2

Time
2:38
Win

vs Lincoln de Sá Oliveira

Shooto Brazil 45 · Dec 20, 2013 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Daniel Araújo

Watch Out Combat Show 31 · Nov 1, 2013 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
2:13
Win

vs Rodrigo Favacho dos Santos

MMA Fight Show 1 · Mar 16, 2013 · Arraial do Cabo, Brazil

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
4:29
Win

vs Lincoln de Sá Oliveira

Shooto Brazil 32 · Jul 14, 2012 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Sandro Gemaque de Souza

Fatality Arena Fight Night 1 · Dec 9, 2011 · Niterói, Brazil

Method
KO (punches)

Round
3

Time
3:58
Win

vs Samuel de Souza

World Fighting Combat 3 · Dec 22, 2010 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
TKO (elbows and punches)

Round
1

Time
1:23
Win

vs Bruno Azevedo

Shooto Brazil 18 · Sep 17, 2010 · Brasília, Brazil

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
N/A
Loss

vs Jussier Formiga

Shooto Brazil 16 · Jun 12, 2010 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Ralph Alves

Watch Out Combat Show 6 · Dec 12, 2009 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Magno Alves

Watch Out Combat Show 5 · Sep 27, 2009 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
KO (punch)

Round
1

Time
N/A
Win

vs Michael William Costa

Shooto Brazil 13 · Aug 27, 2009 · Fortaleza, Brazil

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Bruno Moreno

Shooto Brazil 12 · May 30, 2009 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
TKO (doctor stoppage)

Round
3

Time
4:09
Win

vs Gabriel Wolff

Shooto Brazil 11 · Mar 28, 2009 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
TKO (doctor stoppage)

Round
2

Time
5:00
Loss

vs William Vianna

Watch Out Combat Show 2 · Sep 25, 2008 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Peterson Malfort

Rocinha Fight · Aug 2, 2008 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
N/A
Win

vs Antônio Carlos

Vila Fight · Jul 21, 2007 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Method
Submission (armbar)

Round
1

Time
N/A

Analysis

Alexandre Pantoja holds the record for most wins in UFC flyweight history, with fourteen victories in the division. Champion from July 2023 to December 2025, the Brazilian defended his belt four times before losing it to an injury, then fell short in the rematch in September 2026.

Background

Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo was born on April 16, 1990, in Rio de Janeiro. He grew up in Arraial do Cabo, where he worked several jobs, including waiter and tour guide, before making a living from combat sports. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, he made a name for himself on the South American circuits and then with Resurrection Fighting Alliance.

In 2016, he was one of the sixteen champions invited by the UFC for The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions, a season reserved for flyweights. He then joined the organization’s roster. After several years at Black House, he moved to American Top Team in 2018, under Marcos da Matta, nicknamed Parrumpinha.

UFC Career

Pantoja built his reputation on ground finishes: Matt Schnell, Brandon Royval and Alex Perez earned him three Performance of the Night bonuses. On July 8, 2023, at UFC 290, he became flyweight champion by beating Brandon Moreno by split decision in a bout named Fight of the Night. At 35 years and 73 days old for one of his title fights, he became the oldest fighter to win a belt in the division.

Four defenses followed: Royval by unanimous decision at UFC 296 in December 2023, Steve Erceg by unanimous decision at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro in May 2024, Kai Asakura by second-round technical submission via rear-naked choke at UFC 310 in December 2024, then Kai Kara-France by third-round rear-naked choke at UFC 317 in June 2025.

His reign ended on December 6, 2025, at UFC 323: facing Joshua Van, Pantoja injured his arm and the fight was stopped after 26 seconds. The rematch, on September 19, 2026, at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, also went Van’s way, by unanimous decision after five rounds that earned the Fight of the Night bonus.

Before his reign, Pantoja had already crossed paths with several of the era’s best flyweights. He lost on points to Deiveson Figueiredo in 2018, then to Askar Askarov and to Royval in their first meeting. These setbacks, all by decision, explain a record of six losses on points against a single stoppage loss in his career, the one in December 2025.

Fighting Style

Pantoja is an aggressive grappler who hunts for his opponent’s back as soon as the exchange closes in. Twelve of his thirty wins have come by submission, including six in the UFC, a division record. He also has forty-five successful takedowns in the organization, the third-highest total in flyweight history, and eight finishes, another division record.

Accomplishments

MMA record: 30 wins, 7 losses
8 wins by KO or TKO, 12 by submission, 10 by decision
UFC flyweight champion from July 2023 to December 2025, four defenses
Record for most wins, finishes and submissions in UFC flyweight history
Three Fight of the Night and four Performance of the Night bonuses

Fact Sheet

Full name: Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo
Nickname: The Cannibal
Born: April 16, 1990, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 5’5″ (165 cm)
Reach: 5’8″ (173 cm)
Division: flyweight
Team: American Top Team
Coach: Marcos da Matta
Base: Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Sources

Data updated on September 28, 2026. Record and measurements cross-checked against official results and Wikipedia. Text written by the MMA Official editorial team.

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