Alexandre Pantoja offers his take on potential Merab Dvalishvili superfight ahead of Kai Kara-France test: "I have my division"

Alexandre Pantoja recently shared his thoughts on a potential fight against UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. While Pantoja expressed openness to the matchup, he is currently more interested in facing upcoming challengers in the flyweight division.

'The Cannibal' is scheduled to defend his 125-pound title against Kai Kara-France in the co-main event of UFC 317 on June 28. During the media day interview ahead of the fight, Pantoja was asked about the speculation surrounding a possible matchup with Dvalishvili.

In response, the UFC flyweight champion said:

"I have a huge respect for Merab... Merab is a warrior man. He passed through everything like myself, and I have really respect for that... I want to fight the best in the world. If I have an opportunity to fight with Merab, of course, I would accept, but that's not something I really look for. I have my division. I'm super excited for that division. There are a couple of new names coming."

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Check out Alexandre Pantoja's comments below (7:15):

Merab Dvalishvili speaks about potential Alexandre Pantoja fight

Alexandre Pantoja has solidified his reign as the UFC flyweight champion with three consecutive title defenses, defeating Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili has defended his bantamweight title twice, winning against Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O'Malley.

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili was asked about the possibility of facing Pantoja. Expressing his openness for the matchup, the UFC bantamweight champion said:

"Yes, if [Pantoja] will move up in my weight class and UFC [are] interested with that, no problem. That would be [a] fight I'm sure a lot of people will be interested in. I respect Pantoja, he would be a tough opponent for me, and if Pantoja wants this and UFC wants this, I have no problem with that."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:

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A budding sports management professional, Nilaav Gogoi covers MMA at Sportskeeda. His entry into sports journalism began with stints at Sportszion and First Sportz. Nilaav strives to understand the captivating stories surrounding MMA and its various technical aspects. He is dedicated to providing his audience with accurate and well-authored content while ensuring the information remains reliable.

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Edited by Nilaav Gogoi