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Alexandre Pantoja is willing to break his rule after describing teammate’s callout as a ‘present’

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Kyle Dimond | Last updated Nov 25, 2025 11:15 AM ET

Alexandre Pantoja could soon face a contender that he knows very well following an emphatic UFC return.

In June, it was immediately clear that Pantoja’s next flyweight title challenger would be Joshua Van following their face-off inside the Octagon.

Both men produced impressive wins on the same night at UFC 317 to make the promotion’s decision regarding what is next for the champion incredibly simple.

Before Pantoja and Van meet in the co-main event of UFC 323, a new contender arrived in the flyweight division and immediately called out the champion.

The callout came as a surprise to many due to them being close teammates at American Top Team for some time.

UFC 323 fight card

Alexandre Pantoja is prepared to trash talk with teammate Kyoji Horiguchi

It was announced in October that after nine years away from the Octagon, Kyoji Horiguchi would be making his return to the promotion.

The 41-fight veteran put on a dominant performance against Tagir Ullanbekov on Saturday night to earn himself the #8-ranking at 125 pounds.

After Islam Makhachev debated throwing the towel in to protect Ullanbekov, Horiguchi put the cherry on top of his impressive return by producing a hilarious post-fight interview where he called out his teammate, Alexandre Pantoja.

Pantoja shared his reaction via a recent interview with MMA Junkie, where he spoke about the incredible career that his teammate has had and their relationship.

“I feel very honoured, very grateful and it’s going to be very special for me if I can win against Joshua Van and defend the belt against Kyoji,” Pantoja stated. “It’s going to be a present for me. This represents a lot, this chance to fight with someone who is very important in my life.”

Pantoja, who Joe Rogan believes doesn’t get the credit he deserves, even stated that he could engage in some verbal warfare with Horiguchi after being jokingly threatened by the 35-year-old.

“I feel so happy that Kyoji is back in the UFC and made a performance like he did. I feel very glad that he made this callout and he’s such a fun, entertaining guy. Maybe he’s the only guy I can trash talk with.”

Which UFC 323 main card fight are you most excited for?

Kyoji Horiguchi’s one UFC loss came to the man that Alexandre Pantoja is trying to surpass

With four already under his belt, Alexandre Pantoja wants to break Demetrious Johnson’s record for the most consecutive title defenses at 11.

One of those 11 wins came against Kyoji Horiguchi during the Japanese contender’s initial run in the promotion.

Having won four-in-a-row after debuting in the UFC, Horiguchi challenged Johnson for the flyweight gold at UFC 186, where he was submitted in the fifth round with just one second left on the clock.

He bounced back with a three-fight win streak inside the Octagon before parting ways with the promotion to sign with Rizin.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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