Alexandre Pantoja is one of the most resilient fighters in UFC history, with only five losses in 33 fights. The Brazilian champion’s rise to the flyweight title is quite storied as well, with him having to work jobs outside of fighting to make ends meet. Imagine having to work as an Uber Eats driver, 10 fights into your UFC career, which is what ‘The Cannibal’ did prior to his 2021 fight against Brandon Royval, when he was balancing his fight camp with his day job.

Pantoja is one of three flyweight champions to have more than one title defense, quite a feat in a division as competitive as 125 lbs. His third title defense will have him face off against the extremely dangerous Japanese fighter Kai Asakura at the highly anticipated UFC 310 card on December 7th. But let’s presume that ‘The Cannibal’ successfully defends his title at UFC 310. What’s next for the 28-5 flyweight champ? That’s exactly what we’re here to discuss. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it!

If Alexandre Pantoja wins at UFC 310, what’s next?

If Alexandre Pantoja successfully retains his title at UFC 310, his next opponent in line definitely seems to be Brandon Royval. Having recently defeated Tatsuro Taira and holding the number one contender spot in the flyweight rankings, ‘Raw Dawg’ has proven himself as the deserving next in line for the title shot. For the ones who still have doubts about his skills, his victory at UFC Fight Night by split decision is a must-watch.

Although the duo have fought in the past at UFC 296, where ‘The Cannibal’ emerged as the winner, the number one contender Royval is definitely not a fight one can count out. With a record of 17-7-0 with nine submission wins, ‘Raw Dawg’ truly knows how to turn the tides in a fight. However, Royval is not the only contender with his eyes on the flyweight throne. Brandon Moreno, the former champion, is also a major threat who could pose a challenge to Pantoja. So it would be interesting to see who actually gets the shot at the title if Pantoja emerges victorious at UFC 310.

What if Alexandre Pantoja loses at UFC 310?

If Alexandre Pantoja is thrown off his flyweight throne by Kai Asakura at UFC 310, the situation becomes a bit more complicated for ‘The Cannibal’. Ideally, as the former champion, Pantoja would demand an immediate rematch to reclaim his title. However, seeing that he isn’t one of the most popular fighters on the roster, head honcho Dana White might opt for a different route for the fighter. After all, the UFC is a business in the end. As a result, the 34-year-old would likely have to fight a top-ranked contender to earn his spot as the title challenger.

One potential matchup could be a fourth encounter with Brandon Moreno. Their previous clashes have been nothing short of thrilling, despite Pantoja emerging as the winner in all three fights. So seeing Moreno finally take revenge can be a fight that can sell tickets. But seeing that the trilogy has already taken place with Pantoja emerging as the better one between the two, he might also go against #1 flyweight Brandon Royval or #3 ranked Amir Albazi to seal his path back to the title. So it seems like it won’t be such an easy path back to the throne for ‘The Cannibal’. But what do you think? Will he be able to defend his throne at UFC 310? Let us know in the comments.