Pantoja Discusses a Superfight with Merab
In January 2025, Alexandre Pantoja discussed a possible move from flyweight to bantamweight to face champion Merab Dvalishvili. Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker argued that the size and matchup would favor Dvalishvili. The idea was a hypothetical superfight, not an announced bout. Super Fights covered Pantoja’s comments, while Forbes reported Whittaker’s assessment.
What happened after the discussion
Pantoja stayed at flyweight and defended his title against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317 in June 2025. He lost the belt at UFC 323 in December after an arm injury ended his bout with Joshua Van 26 seconds into the first round. The UFC 317 results and UFC 323 results document those outcomes.
Why a second division entered the conversation
By the time of the January 2025 discussion, Pantoja had already completed three successful flyweight title defenses. He beat Brandon Royval by unanimous decision at UFC 296, repeated that method against Steve Erceg at UFC 301 and submitted Kai Asakura in the second round at UFC 310. The UFC’s fight record documents that sequence.
That run supplied the competitive background for talk of a new challenge. A meeting with Dvalishvili would have required Pantoja to leave the division where he had built his championship record and face a different titleholder. Whittaker’s comments addressed that proposed matchup, rather than an outcome established by a fight between them.
The distinction is useful when revisiting the debate. Success against Royval, Erceg and Asakura demonstrated Pantoja’s achievements at flyweight; it could not determine how a hypothetical bantamweight contest would unfold. His subsequent defense against Kara-France continued the actual flyweight campaign, while the Dvalishvili idea remained part of the discussion around his ambitions at the time.
