Alexandre Pantoja makes his feelings known about "GOAT" Demetrious Johnson's retirement ahead of UFC 310: "Now UFC can contract him again"

Prior to his title defense at UFC 310, reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja expressed his deep admiration for MMA legend Demetrious Johnson. Widely regarded as the greatest flyweight ever, Johnson recently announced his retirement.

Pantoja, who is set to defend his belt against Kai Asakura in the main event, praised Johnson’s contributions to the sport.

Speaking to MMA Fighting, he said:

"Now he retired, and now UFC can contract him again... The only thing I can think about is that. I don’t know if they can do that... But of course, huge respect for him. He’s a GOAT and I respect everything he did for my division, for me, for all of the guys. We needed respect because I need to pay my bills. I’m a fighter, I’m a professional. That’s my job. And Demetrious Johnson opened space for us. [He was] unstoppable, undefeated [for so long], that’s crazy.”

Johnson's dominance in the flyweight division, which included an unprecedented title reign, establishes a standard for MMA fighters. While Pantoja has cemented his own legacy, including a six-fight winning streak and victories over top contenders, he has admitted that he would like to train with Johnson:

"I train with the best fighters in the world. I have the opportunity to fight the best fighters in the world. I can fight with a lot of good guys in the UFC, but if Demetrious Johnson [is fully] retired and doesn’t fight no more, maybe [we can] just train, because it’s something I want to take for my life, you know?”

Check out Alexandre Pantoja's comments below (13:38):

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Michael Bisping weighs in on Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura at UFC 310

Michael Bisping has given his take on Alexandre Pantoja's strategy for defending his flyweight title against Kai Asakura in the UFC 310 main event.

Pantoja faces a daunting challenge in Asakura, a former Rizin bantamweight champion making his UFC debut. Known for his devastating knockout power, Asakura showcased his skills with a TKO victory over Juan Archuleta in his last outing. With the Japanese star moving down to 125 pounds, his power and precision could pose a significant threat.

During TNT Sports’ UFC 310 preview, Bisping emphasized Pantoja’s grappling as the key to victory. While acknowledging Pantoja’s capable striking, the former middleweight champion highlighted the Brazilian’s takedowns and submission threat as pivotal against Asakura’s power.

"[Pantoja has] tremendous takedowns, good striking ability of his own and the man is a highlight machine as well. But to win this fight, I think he's gonna rely heavily on the grappling because Kai Asakura as we just mentioned, the man is a knockout machine but if Pantoja can get a hold of him, get him down to the ground, we might see yet another successful title defense."

Check out Michael Bisping's comments on Alexandre Pantoja below: