The UFC 296 flyweight championship fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval has come to an end.
Pantoja and Royval shared the Octagon inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 16. This was a rematch, as Pantoja secured a second-round submission finish over Royval. Fast forward to late 2023, and Pantoja entered UFC 296 as the 125-pound titleholder, while Royval earned this opportunity due to an impressive three-fight winning streak.
Pantoja got things started with a leg kick. The two traded leg kicks before briefly tying up near the fence. A body kick landed for Pantoja. He shot in for a takedown near the cage and completed it. Royval threw his legs up to defend. He attempted to get back to his feet, but Pantoja moved in and held him on the mat. In the final 30 seconds of the round, the two returned standing, but not much happened near the end of the round.
Round two began and Pantoja connected with a kick to the body. More ground control for the champion in the second stanza. A return to the standup was short-lived, as Pantoja scored another takedown and maintained top control near the end of the round.
Royval caught the body kick of Pantoja, but couldn't do anything with it. Pantoja once again completed a takedown. Royval reversed position, but the two were quickly back to their feet. Pantoja appeared to slow down. Royval got in a body kick and stuffed a takedown attempt. Jabs were there for Royval and he landed a knee up the middle. Pantoja had enough of the striking and took his opponent down.
Round four began, and you guessed it, another takedown for Pantoja. The champion took Royval's back. Pantoja locked up a face crank, but Royval popped his head free. As the final round hit about the 30-second mark, Royval escaped and rained down some strikes near the end of the round.
Royval opened up with strikes in the final round, and he landed an uppercut. He then connected with a leg kick. Pantoja locked up a clinch, but the challenger fought out of it. A jab landed for Royval. Pantoja was clearly tiring, but he scored another takedown. Royval was able to briefly get back to his feet, but his back touched the canvas for the eighth time in the fight.
The final round sounded, and it was clear the winner was Pantoja, who retained his gold via unanimous decision.
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