Alexandre Pantoja takes inspiration from Rocky in wake of UFC 331 loss - MMA Junkie

After a devastating setback in the UFC 331 main event, former champion Alexandre Pantoja is leaning on some advice from a legendary fictional character to guide his path forward.

Pantoja (30-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) attempted to regain the flyweight title he lost to Joshua Van (18-2 MMA, 11-1 UFC) this past December at UFC 323. In that bout, he injured his arm and lost in just 26 seconds. The rematch was supposed to be the true test between the two, but Pantoja lost a unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47).

Now with back-to-back losses to the current champion, who also has a separate title defense over Tatsuro Taira on his resume, Pantoja's climb back to contention could take a bit. He won the title in 2023 against Brandon Moreno with a split decision, then defended it against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France before Van pulled his upset.

Sunday, in the aftermath of the loss to Van, he posted on social media with a long quote from Rocky Balboa about persevering in the face of hardship.

His contribution, beyond the quote from "Rocky," was simply, "Thank you all for your words and continued support."