Did Alexandre Pantoja work at Uber Eats? The UFC fighter's story from almost going broke to becoming flyweight champion

Alexandre Pantoja's road to the UFC flyweight championship is said to have been marked with considerable challenges. The 34-year-old competed against world-class opponents, while also fighting financial hardships by working outside the sports realm.

Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Japan's Kai Asakura next. Their much-discussed stylistic clash headlines UFC 310, which will transpire at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Dec. 7, 2024.

Ahead of his high-stakes title defense, we revisit 'The Cannibal's' story -- a journey of almost going broke to becoming a UFC champion.

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Did Alexandre Pantoja work at Uber Eats?

Alexandre Pantoja has been quite vocal about having worked at Uber Eats. It's an online food ordering/delivering platform owned by multi-national corporation, Uber. Pantoja's Uber stint drew mixed reactions. Some lauded his decision to earn additional income, whereas others raised concerns about MMA fighter pay standards.

Pantoja's professional MMA debut came in July 2007 and UFC debut in January 2017. The initial phase of his UFC run saw him secure a few impressive victories, whilst also suffering three notable losses -- unanimous decision defeats against Dustin Ortiz, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Askar Askarov.

Since the Askarov loss in July 2020, Pantoja has amassed a six-fight win streak. It started with him defeating Manel Kape via unanimous decision in February 2021. He then bested Brandon Royval via second-round submission in August 2021. Pantoja suggested that he worked as an Uber Eats driver for around eight months before the Royval matchup.

After the aforementioned win over Royval, Pantoja submitted Alex Perez and earned a title shot against then-champion Brandon Moreno. 'The Cannibal' faced Moreno at UFC 290 (July 2023) and won via split decision to become the new UFC flyweight champion.

During his emotional post-fight octagon interview, Alexandre Pantoja alluded to his strained relationship with his estranged father and credited his mother for raising him and his two brothers. On The MMA Hour, Pantoja subsequently spoke to Ariel Helwani about the same, in addition to highlighting his financial hardships.

Pantoja indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he sent his wife and family back to their native Brazil due to the budgetary constraints of living in U.S.

The veteran fighter also paid a down payment on a house after defeating Manel Kape. Pantoja, who'd been training at ATT (American Top Team) in Florida, recalled that he worked as an Uber Eats driver to bring his family back to the U.S.

Apparently, the $50k POTN (Performance of the Night) UFC bonus he received after submitting Royval in August 2021 helped him refocus on full-time training and fighting. Recounting how he and his wife worked to provide for their children, he stated:

"When my family was back, the money was short, and my wife started to clean houses, and I started to drive Uber. But I'd do this again if I need ... This is about my kids, my two boys."

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Alexandre Pantoja later pointed out that some critics used his comments against the UFC. Pantoja clarified that economic ups and downs are a part of life, adding that the UFC has given him "everything" and that he loves them.

Watch Alexandre Pantoja discuss his Uber Eats stint below (22:40):