Alexandre Pantoja

Overview

Seven straight wins, a first-round loss in a title fight, then a five-round title decision loss to the same man.

Alexandre Pantoja is 14-5 in the UFC, a Brazilian flyweight who fights out of American Top Team. His longest win streak is eight, and both losses that now sit at the end of his record came against Joshua Van, the second of them in a five-round main event. He carries a two-fight losing streak into his next fight.

Fourteen UFC wins have produced eight finishes, six of them by submission. For a fighter who also lands strikes at a better-than-average rate, that submission count is the stat that defines him.

UFC Career

Pantoja debuted in January 2017 with a split decision over Eric Shelton, then submitted Neil Seery in the third round that July. A unanimous decision loss to Dustin Ortiz followed in January 2018.

He bounced back. He beat Brandon Moreno by decision, submitted Yuta Sasaki in the first round, and stopped Wilson Reis in the first. Then came a step up: a unanimous decision loss to Deiveson Figueiredo, an opponent our model rates as strong. A first-round TKO of Matt Schnell followed, and then another decision loss, to Askar Askarov.

Four of his five UFC losses were decisions. The only stoppage came much later.

From February 2021 the real run began. He beat Manel Kape by decision, submitted Brandon Royval in the second round, and submitted Alex Perez in the first, a win over a strong opponent. In July 2023 he took a split decision over Moreno in a five-round fight, his win over an opponent our model tiers as elite. In December 2023 he beat Royval again, this time by unanimous decision over five rounds.

He then headlined UFC 301 against Steve Erceg and won a five-round unanimous decision. Two submissions followed: Kai Asakura in the second round and Kai Kara-France in the third. That made seven wins in a row.

Then the streak ended. In December 2025, Joshua Van stopped him in the first round, 26 seconds in, in a title fight. In September 2026 they ran it back, a five-round main event and another title fight, and Van took a unanimous decision.

Seven wins in a row. Then two losses to one opponent.

Fighting Style

Pantoja is a grappler first. He shoots for takedowns often, stops them well and constantly hunts submissions. The finishes match that profile: six of his UFC wins came by submission, with finishes in the first, second and third rounds.

He is more than a grappler, though. He lands a lot on the feet and does it accurately, and two of his UFC wins came by TKO, both in the first round.

The weak spot is striking defense, which is below the UFC average. He takes strikes at an ordinary rate, so it isn't a glaring hole. His one UFC stoppage loss, the 26-second finish against Van, was a knockout.

Notable Wins

• Brandon Moreno — split decision, round 5, UFC 290 (2023)
• Brandon Royval — unanimous decision, round 5, UFC 296 (2023)
• Steve Erceg — unanimous decision, round 5, UFC 301 (2024)
• Alex Perez — submission, round 1, UFC 277 (2022)

Quick Facts

• Division: Flyweight
• UFC record: 14-5
• Professional record (all promotions): 30-7-0
• UFC debut: 2017
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height: 5'5", reach: 67"
• Team: American Top Team
• Born: RJ, Brazil