Alexandre Pantoja’s Father: Story Behind UFC Champ’s Strained Relationship With His Dad

UFC 310 is just days away from happening and Dana White has Alexandre Pantoja partaking in yet another title defense in the main event against Japanese sensation Kai Asakura, who’ll be making his promotional debut this weekend. The reigning champion has been one of the most dominant fighters in the flyweight division and no wonder he is riding the seventh skies right now, but the journey to reach the zenith was never easy for the Brazilian star.

Pantoja was raised by a single mother alongside two siblings. He saw his mother working day and night for their betterment, and this left a hole in the heart of the champ, craving the love of his father. So what is this situation with his father? Was he not there when they were growing up? Let’s find out.

What happened to Alexandre Pantoja’s parents?

The UFC flyweight champion’s past is not all sunshine and rainbows. Born in the Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Pantoja’s family struggled financially. However, very little is known about Pantoja’s family in general. There’s been an emotional disconnect between Pantoja’s family and his father from the time when they were kids.

After winning his championship bout against Brandon Moreno, ‘Cannibal’ took the mic and asked his father if he was proud of him now while crying. This incident shocked the MMA community, as they were not aware of the Brazilian’s troubled relationship with his father. In the post-match interview, Pantoja added that he left everything for MMA and asked whether his father was proud of him or not. “I leave everything I have. My mum, take care of me and my two brothers alone. You know, now Dad, are you proud of me Dad? You proud of me?”

The flyweight champion’s father’s identity is unknown. While having another conversation, Pantoja explained that his father was an alcoholic, and they used to have a lot of fights, and one day he left. Pantoja has no animosity toward his father anymore. Time and time again, he has asserted that he only wants him to acknowledge him, but seems like things are not working in his favor.

Nonetheless, even though Alexandre Pantoja’s relationship with his father has been derailed by destiny, he now has a good family that looks after him. Let us have a look at them.

All about Alexandre Pantoja’s mother, wife, and kids

The troubled life of Alexandre Pantoja also has moments of redemption. As mentioned earlier, Pantoja’s mother has three children: Pantoja and his two brothers. ‘Cannibal’ explains that he has seen her mother suffer while taking care of them and it has helped him on his journey. Besides his parents and siblings, Pantoja has a beautiful family as well.

Alexandre Pantoja is married to Gabryella Gouvêa Pantoja. ‘The Cannibal’ started dating Gabryella Gouvêa way back in 2008 and married soon after. Gouvêa is a housewife who likes to take care of her family and kids. She is a strong woman who helped Pantoja during the rough times of 2021 by taking odd jobs for the sake of her family.

They have two kids Cauã Pantoja and Nicolas Pantoja. Both of the kids are very young and the exact age of them is rather unknown. Nonetheless, Pantoja’s story is like a fairytale which starts with melancholy but ends with a happy ending. What are your thoughts about Alexandre Pantoja’s story? Tell us in the comments below.