Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja says he is fully recovered from the arm injury he suffered in December at UFC 323, when he lost his flyweight title to Joshua Van in the opening seconds of their bout. Pantoja has been training since shortly after the injury and is now ready to compete again. With Van having since added a title defense over Tatsuro Taira, Pantoja is focused on winning back the belt and says he has "unfinished business" with the champion.

Joshua VanTatsuro TairaManel KapeBrandon Royval+2

Nine years ago at UFC Fight Night 113, Alexandre Pantoja secured his first UFC finish victory against Neil Seery. Pantoja locked in a rear-naked choke to get the stoppage win in just his second octagon appearance.

Neil SeeryAlexandre Pantoja

A fight between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja is in the works for UFC 331 on September 19, according to multiple sources. The matchup would represent a significant flyweight contest on the September card.

Joshua VanAlexandre Pantoja

Kai Kara-France defeated Kyoji Horiguchi by knockout in the third round, catching him with a counter after Horiguchi stalled momentarily following a combination. Horiguchi dominated the first two rounds with his trademark footwork and speed, but a brief lapse proved fatal. The finish gave Kara-France four straight knockout wins and a record-setting fifth knockout victory in UFC flyweight division history, with a sixth voided only due to a weight miss. The performance puts Kara-France in line for a title fight, with a potential matchup against Alexandre Pantoja now in focus.

Kai Kara-FranceKyoji HoriguchiAlexandre Pantoja

Steve Erceg — in a rematch nearly nine years after Kyoji Horiguchi finished him by submission — turned the tables with a third-round knockout after Horiguchi controlled the first two rounds with sharp counters and takedowns. Horiguchi landed a left hook on a forward surge but paused instead of resetting, and Cape capitalized with a fight-ending right hand after switching stances. The victory gives Cape four consecutive knockouts in the flyweight division and moves him to first place for most knockouts in UFC flyweight history with five.

Kyoji HoriguchiAlexandre Pantoja

Following Manel Kape's latest victory, discussion has turned to who should be next for the flyweight contender. Options include an immediate matchup with Joshua Van, or waiting for the winner of either the Van/Pantoja or Royval/Khavanagh bouts.

Joshua VanManel KapeBrandon RoyvalAlexandre Pantoja