Alexandre Pantoja

Pantoja is married to Gabryella Pantoja, and they have two sons. His mother, Ester Pantoja, raised him and his two brothers after his father left the family home.

After winning the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 290, Pantoja addressed his father during his post-fight interview and asked whether he was proud of him.

Pantoja was raised in Rio de Janeiro and began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at age 11. His stepfather, Moraes, introduced him to the discipline, and Pantoja trained at the academy of Osvaldo Alves in Copacabana. At age 12, he moved with his family to Arraial do Cabo, where he began training with athletes his own age.

He later moved to Bahia to live with his father, continued practicing jiu-jitsu, and began teaching the discipline at age 15. He also won a state jiu-jitsu title. After discovering Muay Thai under Helbert Reis, Pantoja accumulated victories in that sport before switching to mixed martial arts because of the limited financial opportunities in Muay Thai.

Pantoja made his professional MMA debut in 2007, defeating Antônio Carlos by armbar at Vila Fight. Before establishing himself as a full-time fighter, he worked as a waiter, mason, boat-ride crew member, and Muay Thai teacher.

Pantoja competed on The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions as a member of Team Cejudo. He defeated Brandon Moreno by rear-naked choke in the opening round and Kai Kara-France by unanimous decision in the quarterfinals. He lost to Hiromasa Ougikubo by unanimous decision in the semifinals, but subsequently received a UFC contract.

He made his UFC debut against Eric Shelton at UFC on Fox 23 in January 2017 and won by split decision. His early UFC run included submission victories over Neil Seery and Ulka Sasaki, a first-round stoppage of Wilson Reis, and a first-round knockout of Matt Schnell that earned him a Performance of the Night award.

Pantoja also fought Brandon Moreno before their title rivalry, defeating him by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 129 in 2018. He earned a Fight of the Night award in his 2019 loss to Deiveson Figueiredo and later defeated Manel Kape, Brandon Royval, and Alex Perez. A knee injury forced him to withdraw from a planned UFC title fight after his 2021 victory over Royval.

Pantoja won the UFC Flyweight Championship by defeating Brandon Moreno by split decision at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023. The fight was their third meeting and earned Fight of the Night honors.

He defended the title against Brandon Royval by unanimous decision at UFC 296, Steve Erceg by unanimous decision at UFC 301, Kai Asakura by rear-naked choke at UFC 310, and Kai Kara-France by rear-naked choke at UFC 317. The Kara-France victory completed his fourth successful title defense and extended his winning streak to eight fights.

Pantoja lost the championship to Joshua Van at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025. The bout ended 26 seconds into the first round after Pantoja suffered an arm injury during a takedown sequence and was stopped by technical knockout. A rematch with Van is scheduled for UFC 331 on September 19, 2026.

Pantoja has a professional MMA record of 30 wins and six losses. His victories include eight by knockout, 12 by submission, and 10 by decision. His UFC profile lists rear-naked choke as his favorite grappling technique and records 10 first-round finishes.

He holds UFC flyweight-division records for most wins, most finishes, and most submission victories. His UFC honors also include four Performance of the Night awards and two Fight of the Night awards.

Pantoja trains at American Top Team, where his preparation includes wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing, cardio, and strength training. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Pantoja is credited as an actor for UFC Long Story Short, a 2025 television series in which he appeared in one episode. He has also appeared as himself in Countdown to UFC and in the event production UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez.

His UFC appearances have included roles connected to both his championship career and his participation in The Ultimate Fighter.