Alexandre Pantoja is stepping away from the Octagon with no date circled for his return. American Top Team coach Marcos “Parrumpa” da Matta told Sherdog there is currently no timetable for the former UFC flyweight champion, and that what Pantoja needs right now is mental rest after his loss to Joshua Van at UFC 331.
Coaches usually talk about camps, injuries and matchmaking windows. Da Matta is talking about something you can’t tape up or ice. According to the coach, the defeat to Van hit Pantoja hard enough that the conversation at ATT has moved away from the next opponent and toward letting the man recover.
The September loss closed out a strange two-fight story. Pantoja and Van first met in a bout that ended with an unfortunate injury, which left plenty unresolved. The UFC 331 rematch settled it. Bloody Elbow described the result as putting the rivalry to bed, and Van has kept moving since then. Heavy, via Yahoo Sports, lists Van’s title wins over Pantoja and Tatsuro Taira as proof the 25-year-old is the best flyweight on the planet right now.
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Where the division goes without him
The 125-pound picture has kept moving while Pantoja steps back. Van, the Myanmar native nicknamed The Fearless, headlines UFC 336 on January 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto against Manel Kape, the former RIZIN bantamweight champion who earned the shot with a four-fight win streak. Bloody Elbow framed the pairing as Van against a long-time rival. The co-main event has Carlos Prates and Michael Morales fighting for the interim welterweight title. According to Bloody Elbow, those two bouts are the only ones confirmed for the card so far.
Van is already looking past Toronto. Speaking on Outta Pocket with RGIII, he floated a future fight with bantamweight champion Petr Yan for a second belt. “That would be ideal (to fight Petr Yan for a second belt), right?” Van said, adding that Yan was someone he studied closely when he first came into the sport because the two share a similar style.
That leaves Pantoja in an odd spot. The champion who beat him is talking about double-champ status, and a fresh challenger already has the date. The former titleholder, meanwhile, is sitting at home with no booking and a coach publicly asking for patience.
Quick take
I’d rather hear this from a coach than the alternative. Too many teams rush a fighter straight back after a loss like this, partly to stay in the title picture and partly because sitting still feels like quitting. Da Matta went the other way and said out loud that his fighter’s head needs time, which takes some nerve in a business that runs on the next card announcement. Flyweight won’t wait for Pantoja. Van and Kape fight on January 30 whether he’s ready or not. But if Pantoja comes back in a year rested and hungry, that will do him more good than a quick, anxious return booked to beat the calendar.
