From humble beginnings in Brazil, Alexandre Pantoja has clawed his way to the top of the mountain, cementing his place as the greatest flyweight on the planet. And he attributes his incredible success to the lessons he learned in BJJ and the relationship he has with God.
On May 4, the life’s work of the natural-born athlete will culminate in a world championship title defence against Steve Erceg in front of his adoring public at the Farmasi Arena, in Rio de Janeiro. But while the world knows the fighter for the icon he is today, they haven’t any idea of the difficult road he took to scale these almost insurmountable heights.
Living in a home without a father, Pantoja grew up with a burning desire to become the man his mother always dreamed he could be. He just needed a craft in which he could channel his energy. And that’s where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came into the picture. Without a care in the world, the teenager, as he was at the time, waltzed into an adults-only class, learning the sport the hard way. However, while the experience could’ve sent a weaker kid packing, it did nothing but inspire the warrior to get better. And when he started training with people his own age, the difference in skill was nothing short of staggering.
In an exclusive interview with MMA TV Live, The Stake ambassador explained: “My first Jiu-jitsu gym was just for adults, and I was the only child in the group. When I trained with the kids in another gym, I beat everyone. In my first gym, there was a 3x world champion; there were lots of good guys. In a regular gym, I got the better of everyone. I’m super happy with that; it’s like a book. I couldn’t read something better. It’s so crazy. Everything happened for a reason in my mind. God always had something planned for me.”
With a fire for martial arts he couldn’t extinguish, Pantoja dived in at the deep end, slowly working his way up the MMA ladder. But while his skills were undeniable, funding his career proved difficult. Even after making it to the UFC, he still found himself delivering food for Uber Eats during his first fight week against Brandon Roval, but regardless of the obstacles placed in his way, he kept on trucking, determined to make it to the top. And eventually, in a testament to all his hard work, he did.
Knowing how difficult the journey was to get here, Pantoja certainly isn’t taking the destination for granted.
With a smile on his face, he thanked God for always being by his side. The 34-year-old beamed: “My best moment is right now. I can eat and buy everything I want. I train with the best in the world. I see my history, and everything has a reason. I had to pull out of a fight because of my ACL, but it gave me time to improve, and I won the belt. I fought Alex Perez and finished him in one minute. I have had lots of people helping me get to my big moments. When I need help, God gives me the help. But I never expect it.”
While Pantoja has scaled the heights, he still has so much more to accomplish, and with his adoring wife and kids always in his corner, he can’t wait to write the next chapter.
He concluded: “I do everything I can do to become a better fighter. I have the support of my wife. She holds me and gives me space to be phenomenal. I try to be like that every day of my life. I want people to remember me as a tough guy. But outside of the cage, I want people to know I was a champion before I was ever in the cage.”
