Alexandre Pantoja Nickname: Why Did He Keep ‘The Cannibal’ as His Moniker?

With exceptional skills and an inspirational life story, Alexandre Pantoja sits at the top of the UFC’s flyweight division right now. At UFC 290 in 2023, he faced rival Brandon Moreno for the UFC flyweight title and after five gruesome rounds, the judges declared him the winner via split decision.

He made his first title defense against Brandon Royval at UFC 296 later in 2023 and he is now gearing up for UFC 301 where he’ll face the surging Steve Erceg in Brazil. As fans’ interest in his personal life keeps growing with his popularity, many have been curious about the origins of his nickname inside the Octagon. As with any other fighter, Pantoja also has a unique moniker that might hint at a certain aspect of his personality so, let’s learn all we know about his moniker and its history.

Alexandre Pantoja’s nickname and history

Monikers are really common in MMA. While some fighters have funny nicknames, others have monikers that refer to their fighting style or personality. On the other hand, Alexandre Pantoja has a pretty uncanny nickname. The flyweight champion is known as ‘The Cannibal”. Intriguingly, there is no information about the history of this nickname. Apparently, the Brazilian fighter has been using this nickname for a long time now. Yet, nobody knows who gave him this nickname and why.

Pantoja began his journey toward the UFC as a part of 2016, ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions’. He was part of Team Henry Cejudo on the show who faced off against Team Joseph Benavidez.

While he faced defeat in the semi-finals of the tournament against Hiromasa Ougikubo via a unanimous decision, he had impressed the UFC with his performances and was soon signed to a contract with the promotion.  He made his debut in the promotion at UFC on Fox 23 in 2017 where he secured the win via a split decision against Eric Shelton and started his journey that has now led him to the top of the flyweight division.

While he has yet to reveal the story behind ‘The Cannibal’ moniker, his MMA record provides a glimpse as to why the Brazilian has been bestowed with the terrifying nickname!

Pantoja’s record justifies his nickname

Alexandre Pantoja’s professional MMA record currently stands at 27 wins and 5 losses. It’s interesting to note that he is currently on a 5-fight win streak in the UFC that started with his victory over Manel Kape in 2021. With 8 knockouts and 10 submission victories to his name in his career, Pantoja is a dangerous fighter who can finish his opponents on the ground or on the feet. As such, it makes sense that he’d be nicknamed, ‘The Cannibal’, as he too has demonstrated the capacity of ‘devouring’ his fellow fighters inside the cage.

Pantoja is also known for his relentless drive and pressure inside the Octagon. In his fight against Brandon Moreno for the title at UFC 290, Pantoja dug deep in the championship rounds to edge out Moreno as he secured the split decision victory and the UFC gold on the night. As he continues to etch his legacy in the sport, Pantoja’s moniker serves as a fitting reminder of his ferocious prowess inside the cage and highlights why he is considered by many to be the UFC’s most compelling talent in the flyweight division.

What do you think about Alexandre Pantoja’s nickname and do you have a theory behind why he chose it? Share it with us in the comments below!