Backup for Figueiredo vs. Benavidez, Pantoja ‘fully focused’ on Askarov

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Flyweight contender Alexandre Pantoja is focused on his original opponent at UFC Fight Night 172.

Now that flyweight title challenger Deiveson Figueiredo has actually made weight for his rematch against Joseph Benavidez, it seems Alexandre Pantoja will no longer be needed. Officially named the backup fighter in case the Brazilian missed weight or something else went wrong at UFC Fight Night 172’s main event, it appears that Pantoja will, in fact, take on the man he was intended to face from the start: Askar Askarov.

Although Pantoja knows there still is a slim chance of him fighting for the title, should a last minute emergency occur, Alexandre tells Ag Fight his mind is entirely focused on Askarov. However, Pantoja guarantees he is up for the challenge if he ends up fighting for the title on Saturday night.

“I already knew about this possibility of being the backup, because of what happened in their last fight,” Pantoja said. “But I trained to fight Askarov. I had already fought Deiveson before and we’ve watched Benavidez fight many times before. My mind is fully focused on Askarov, who is a great fighter. If I happen to fight for the title, I’ll show how ready I am to fight for the belt. I’ve worked all my life and this is the time. There’s no better moment than now.”

Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez might be fighting for the flyweight title on Saturday, but Pantoja believes his fight against Askarov should put him close to contention, with a win. In fact, Alexandre already feels like he will be the next champion, with the Askarov bout being just another step before he achieves his goal.

“I already knew I was going to fight him. He climbed the rankings nicely after his last fights. There aren’t many Russian guys in the division. He’s the first Russian I’ll be facing, I’m happy about that. He has a different style. Much like Brazilians, they have the reputation of being tough. It’s going to be a great fight for me. He’s a southpaw with a grappling background. He’s a wrestling champion, so we’re expecting him to close the distance. He likes to strike, but he likes to grapple, too. Fighting this Russian guys is all that’s on my mind. But there’s no doubt I’ll be the next UFC champion.”

In his last outing, Alexandre Pantoja (22-4) defeated Matt Schnell via knockout, back in December 2019. The win came after the 30-year-old’s unanimous decision defeat to Deiveson Figueiredo, in July of the same year. Overall, Pantoja is 6-2 in his UFC career, with wins over notable names such as Wilson Reis and Brandon Moreno. His other loss happened in January 2018, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Dustin Ortiz.

Now, Alexandre Pantoja is expected to take on Askar Askarov at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 18, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The card is scheduled to be headlined by a rematch for the vacant flyweight belt, between top contenders Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez.