“I won my belt at International Fight Week. Now I have the opportunity to defend my belt at International Fight Week.
“Last year, I came to the fan expos (at UFC X), and that was amazing. The contact with the fans, I think for the fighters, it’s super unbelievable. It’s a good connection, and the best thing is, Saturday I have my fight.”
Order UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira
Pantoja’s last appearance saw him take on former RIZIN FF bantamweight champion Kai Asakura. The Japanese star arrived in the UFC with a big following in Asia, and a big reputation. But Pantoja dominated the fight en route to a second-round submission finish as he retained his title in style. For Pantoja, the victory wasn’t just another title defense. It was the chance to show to the world that the UFC represents the very highest level of mixed martial arts.
“The fight with Kai Asakura, he came in as a big star,” he said.
“And the nice thing is, you think about promotion versus promotion – I defended the UFC and showed everybody that UFC is the best promotion in the world (and) we have the best fighters in the world.
