Former formidable flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja has returned to sparring after his horrific injury at UFC 323. The nasty injury ended an exceptional title reign at 125 pounds, putting the Brazilian in the conversation among the greatest of all time, not just in his division but in the entire sport.
If he was successful against Joshua Van at UFC 323, it would have been five straight defenses of the 125lbs belt and a potential jump to 135lbs given his dominance of the flyweight division and all the top contenders. The injury stemmed from an awkward landing in the first 30 seconds of the title fight after Van absorbed a kick from the champion.
Given the severity of the injury and Pantoja’s age, many assumed his return would not happen until the summer of this year at the earliest, possibly on the much-anticipated White House card. However, everyone can see via social media that Pantoja is already back to sparring and training, so a return for ‘The Cannibal’ could come sooner than expected.
When Pantoja returns it will be for the flyweight title, there is no doubt about that, but who will be the champion upon his return. New champion Van is notoriously active and last year was no different from the Myanmar native. The shake-up at the top of the division is rippling through to the contenders below and could provide a new opportunity for those who have failed before. The pair of leading challengers are Tatsuro Taira and Manel Kape both bounce into 2026 on rich form and career-best wins.
Will the UFC wait for the return of the former champion or will the new blood be the first to challenge for flyweight gold in 2026?
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