What did Alexandre Pantoja say about his father? Emotional post-fight speech at UFC 290 and follow-up details on their relationship

Alexandre Pantoja has earned widespread praise for his accomplishments as a fighter and for his inspiring journey outside the realm of professional MMA competition. It includes major setbacks 'The Cannibal' has overcome on the familial front.

Pantoja is set to attempt to notch his third successful defense of the UFC flyweight title. He'll clash against Kai Asakura, a fearsome Japanese knockout artist and promotional newcomer. Their fight headlines UFC 310, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Dec. 7, 2024.

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What did Alexandre Pantoja say about his father?

Alexandre Pantoja, the reigning UFC flyweight kingpin, was born in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 16, 1990.

Pantoja has been quite vocal about having grown up amid financial, familial, and miscellaneous hardships. Around his stint in the UFC's TUF reality show in 2016, Pantoja spoke to the UFC and stated:

"My mom is a warrior ... She's a single mother who had three kids, and every time in my life, I saw my mom fight for me and my brothers."

Pantoja's story gained prominence after he defeated Mexico's Brandon Moreno via split decision in their rematch to become the new UFC flyweight champion at UFC 290 in July 2023.

In an emotional post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan, Pantoja recounted striving to bring his wife and children from Brazil to the U.S. again. He then addressed his relationship with his estranged father, emphasizing that his mother raised him and his two brothers alone:

"My mom take care of me and my two brothers alone, you know. Now, dad, you proud of me, dad? You proud of me?"

Check out Alexandre Pantoja's interview below (1:16):

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour later the same month, Alexandre Pantoja recalled thinking about calling his father during fight week, creating a beautiful family moment, and ending bad times:

"My mom is adopted ... And my daddy have two kids -- my old brother, my sister, and I. And my dad drink a lot. And I see a lot of fights with he and my mom ... What I say in the cage is something like I just want the love of my dad."

Moreover, when asked if his father had contacted him after his title victory, Pantoja said, "No." He further suggested that he has two brothers and a sister, and he and his siblings need their father's love and time but the latter's responses were "cold":

"My sister is like, miss so much my dad. The dad represents everything for one daughter. And my two brothers need the help of my dad. Of course, every kid need the help of the dad. He never did."

Furthermore, Pantoja indicated that around 10 years back, his father returned to Arraial do Cabo, and he felt his parents were back together. He noted, however, that his father claimed he didn't like living there because of the supposedly "poor house" and "poor place." Pantoja added:

"He choose like a easy life with some woman having money. I don't wanna say a lot that because I don't wanna crucify my dad. He make his choice ... What I learned with him is I want to be the best daddy ever."

Watch Alexandre Pantoja's explanation below (7:51-17:07):