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Alexandre Pantoja: To Face a Mike Tyson Threat, I’ll Channel My Inner Muhammad Ali at UFC 317

ByHarry KettleMixed Martial Arts Journalist

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is ready to channel his inner Muhammad Ali as he prepares to battle Kai Kara-France at UFC 317.

In the co-main event of UFC 317, Alexandre Pantoja will square off against Kai Kara-France. It’s a fight that has been a long time coming, and while Pantoja has done a great job as champion at 125 pounds, many people believe that Kara-France has a real chance of winning the belt for the very first time.

Of course, it’s hard to say whether or not it’s going to happen, but we’re all just excited to see how it plays out when they stand across the cage from one another. Alexandre Pantoja has overcome some huge tests in the past, and he’s able to recognize an opponent’s strengths.

In a recent interview, Alexandre Pantoja spoke about one of the big dangers that awaits him on International Fight Week.

Alexandre Pantoja sees Kai Kara-France as Mike Tyson-level knockout threat | UFC 317

Alexandre Pantoja previews Kai Kara-France fight

“If I’m seeing Kai Kara-France as a Mike Tyson, maybe I need to be more like Muhammad Ali. I need the movement. But I know, if he tries to hit me, I have a very good chin. I prove that 100 times. I don’t want to prove that a lot. I want to move my head more. That’s something I really work on. 

“But I have strong hands too. It’s going to be an amazing opportunity for me to prove myself. For every word, I have strong hands too. If you want to hit me, you need to know I’m going to hit you too. Maybe it’s going to be a good opportunity to knock someone out.”

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