"This was definitely heartbreaking" - When fans were moved by Alexandre Pantoja asking for his father's approval after title win

Alexandre Pantoja is known for maintaining a stoic demeanor during his UFC appearances. However, he moved MMA fans by sharing some painful emotions following the biggest win of his career.

Pantoja had a strained relationship with his father and was raised by his mother along with his two siblings. Despite the hardships, Pantoja became a world-class MMA fighter and climbed to the absolute top of the sport.

The Brazilian defeated Brandon Moreno in the UFC 290 co-main event to become the UFC flyweight champion but felt the need for his father's approval. During the octagon interview, Pantoja said:

"I worked so hard. I brought my family to USA, I started [training in American Top Team]. I left everything I had. My mom took care of me and my two brothers alone. Now dad? You're proud of me, dad? You're proud of me?"

Catch Pantoja's comments below (2:23):

A screenshot of Pantoja's comments was posted on CyclonusDecept Reddit handle in the following days. Fans were overcome with emotions and shared their thoughts in the comments section:

"Yep, this was definitely heartbreaking. I was already emotional after Lawler too," BigManonCampus wrote.

"That sh** was moving, no lie," GruntCandy86 commented.

"We're proud of you Pantoja. We're proud of you," Weak_Sauce_Yo commented.

"I'm a massive fan of this guy. Absolute savage," delboy85 commented.

Unfortunately, many prominent combat sports athletes have a history of harsh upbringing and turn toward fighting as a result of that.

While most fans extended their support to Pantoja in the comments section, some were less sympathetic:

"Well... you don't become a prize fighter because your dad hugged you constantly," No-Target-3982 wrote.

"Bro you're 33. Get the f* over it lmao," Sawtya****le commented.

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"I don't want more bad times" - When Alexandre Pantoja explained his emotional comments in the UFC 290 post-fight interview

Alexandre Pantoja's emotional post-fight interview became one of the most prominent storylines heading out of the UFC 290 event.

During his appearance on The MMA Hour in the following days, Pantoja shed light on the difficult times his family had to survive and explained his octagon comments:

"What I said in the cage was something like, I just want the love of my dad, you know. I want to feel him. In the week of the fight, I thought about calling my dad and cover all the scares because when I go to the fight, I want to make like a beautiful moment and I don't want to have more bad times."

Check out Pantoja's interview below (3:27):

Alexandre Pantoja subsequently successfully defended the flyweight title against Brandon Royval at UFC 296.

He is now set to take on Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 main event on May 4. The event will take place in Rio de Janeiro and will mark the promotion's first visit to the city since January 2023.