Alexandre Pantoja is right at the average height of UFC flyweights at 5ft 5″ tall. That puts him at a three-inch height disadvantage against his next opponent, Australian fighter Steve Erceg.
Pantoja is the reigning UFC flyweight champion and is also the No.10 ranked Pound-for-Pound fighter in the promotion. A former flyweight title holder at the regional RFA and AXS TV promotions, Pantoja won the UFC 125-pound belt by dethroning Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 last 8 July 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Rio de Janeiro native has since made one successful title defence, securing a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 last 23 December 2023. Pantoja will return to the Octagon on May 4th when he headlines UFC 301 at the Farmassi Arena in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. He will be facing No.1 ranked Steve Erceg from Perth, Australia in the second defence of his 125-pound belt.
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According to the UFC’s official fighter database, Pantoja stands 5 feet and 5 inches tall, an average height for a UFC flyweight.
Brandon Moreno, the man whom Pantoja beat to win gold, is listed at 5 feet and 7 inches tall. Meanwhile, the Brazilian faced a four-inch height disadvantage when he fought Royval the last time out. For his upcoming fight, Pantoja will be at a height disadvantage again, as Erceg stands 5ft 8″ tall. But that is the least of his worries.
Aside from Moreno and Royval, Pantoja also fought 5ft 10″ (1.77 meters tall ) Japanese fighter Ulka Sasaki at UFC Fight Night 140 in 2018. He also faced 5-8 (1.72 meters tall) Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 165 in 2019. Alexandre ended up beating both Sasaki and Schnell inside the first round.