UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is ready to make the move up and face Sean O’Malley in the bantamweight division, suggesting that he’d even do it for free.
Over the course of the last few years, Alexandre Pantoja has really come into his own as the champion at 125 pounds. He’s been able to turn back a parade of challengers and now, we’re at the point where he’s one of the best pound for pound fighters in the entire UFC. As we look ahead to the future, his next test will see him defend the strap against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317.
Beyond that, though, nobody really knows what’s next for him. In a recent interview with Stake, Alexandre Pantoja made it known that bantamweight is a real possibility – and that he has an opponent in mind.
Alexandre Pantoja is open to Sean O’Malley fight
“If it makes sense to the UFC, I think it’s going to happen. I would need to gain 10lbs of muscle, which takes time. For bigger guys, it’s easier to change weight classes, but I would need time. If I had the chance to fight for the belt, or fight someone like O’Malley, I would do it.
“O’Malley has stopped the weed, has more connection to his family, and maybe Merab made him humble, which is good for the world. O’Malley is super good, but Merab has something O’Malley never had. Merab had to fight to eat. I am very proud to have given my kids a good life, but I say to them, that they never had to struggle like me, and that’s the same with Merab and O’Malley. I would fight O’Malley for free.”
Quotes via Stake
