Top 05 Opponents for Alexandre Pantoja to face at UFC 316.

The UFC accidentally disclosed Alexandre Pantoja, the flyweight champion’s return and it’s time for us fans to contemplate who will he face next.

During the UFC Vegas 103 event, The Championship Round on X (formerly Twitter) observed that the promotion displayed a graphic of UFC 316 featuring flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja’s name. Although the graphic was removed after the event was aired, it had already been noticed by the viewers.

The UFC 316 event is scheduled for Newark, New Jersey on June 07, 2025, at Prudential Center with Julianna Pena (C) vs Kayla Harrison as the rumored headliner.

Alexandre Pantoja’s path to becoming the champion was relentless as he had to defeat almost every notable contender before earning a title shot. He defeated Brandon Moreno to win the flyweight championship and defended the belt against Brandon Royval, both being high-profile rematches.

In the quest for a promising challenger, the UFC fast-tracked Steve Erceg and debuted Kai Asakura straightly into a championship bout only to be cannibalized by Pantoja.

As the UFC has not yet announced any details regarding Alexandre Pantoja’s next opponent, it is our responsibility at Sidekick Boxing to list five strong contenders who are likely to be chosen by the promotion to face Pantoja at UFC 316.

1. Alexandre Pantoja vs Merab Dvalisvili. (For Bantamweight Championship)

Top 05 Opponents for Alexandre Pantoja to face at UFC 316.

After Alexandre Pantoja submitted Kai Asakura with a rear naked choke to retain his title, the bewilderment about his next opponent is natural for a fight fan.

While some notable names in the flyweight division have sparked interest, they haven’t generated enough hype amongst the viewers. Only match-up involving a current UFC star could make Pantoja’s next fight intriguing, and the excitement is primarily centering around the bantamweight division’s champion.

Merab Dvalishvili just demolished Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 using his ultimate gas tank, wrestling, and hilarious showboating. After Merab’s victory, many have been wondering who will be his next opponent, a similar speculation to Pantoja’s next match.

Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is likely next in line to rematch against Merab Dvalishvili for the belt. He is currently ranked number one in the bantamweight rankings, only behind another former champ Petr Yan who suffered a loss each against the current champion.

So, before Merab embarks on the journey of rematches, it would be absolutely awesome to see him defending the bantamweight championship belt against Alexandre Pantoja.

This is the best solution for both divisions currently dominated by their top champions. The card can be structured in such a way that Alexandre Pantoja and Merab Dvalishvili can fight for glory, while the undercard will solidify future flyweight and bantamweight contenders.

2. Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France.

One of the City Kickboxing’s stars, Kai Kara-France could very well be the next contender to face Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight championship.

Kai has long been the flyweight division’s dark horse. He has come remarkably close to a title shot on multiple occasions, but each time, he narrowly missed the opportunity to capture the gold.

There was never any doubt in Kai’s ability as a fighter. He is agile, immensely powerful as a flyweight, and has an astute fight IQ. With 13 first-round finishes to his name, Kai can definitely put anybody out at any moment.

However, Kai’s UFC career has experienced a series of fluctuations of success and monumental setbacks. He was defeated by some top flyweight contenders like Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, and Amir Albazi when it mattered the most, yet he rebounded back with a thunderous knockout against former title challenger Steve Erceg.

What makes this fight really interesting is that we are all aware of Alexandre Pantoja’s tremendous ground game. Pantoja has taken down almost everyone he has fought so far and against Kai, taking to the ground will be Pantoja’s primary strategy.

But, Kai infuses a ton of power in his shots, and if he connects with something significant, it could swiftly conclude the fight for the current champion despite having a great chin. A fighter like him who is capable of dealing a lot of damage at any point always has a chance to become victorious with a surprise.

3. Alexandre Pantoja vs Manel Kape.

Manel Kape recently gained a lot of popularity for his based personality and brashness. He might be a flyweight, but his unwavering courageous nature makes him immune to intimidation and because of that, he wasn’t afraid to lash out at Israel Adesanya who is a middleweight and is a giant compared to his size.

Many wanted to see him vs Kai Kara-France because of their bitter rivalry. However, Kape’s recent victories have taken him way closer to a title shot than we think, and he might be getting a rematch against Pantoja. He is currently on a two-fight winning streak and both of them are via third-round knockout.

Kape knocked out Kai Asakura at Rizin 20 and then he joined the UFC. Ironically, he is yet to get a title shot, and Asakura got it on his debut. That gives us a valuable lesson, that the timing of everything matters.

In his UFC debut, Kape faced the reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja in 2021 and lost via unanimous decision, followed by another loss against Matheus Nicolau. Since then, Kape has significantly improved his game and despite a few losses, he has an impressive win-to-loss ratio inside the UFC.

Pantoja emerged victorious in the last battle, and who knows? Kape’s enhanced takedown defense and offensive striking could be handy against the champion.

4. Alexandre Pantoja vs Deiveson Figueiredo.

The return of a legend to the division he once ruled is also a possibility. After being highly competitive against the bantamweights, Deiveson Figueiredo is teasing his anticipated return to flyweight.

After a thrilling quadrilogy against Brandon Moreno, Deiveson Figueiredo moved up to the bantamweight division because the weight cut was becoming too difficult. The Brazilian “God of War” had an impressive run, defeating top bantamweights like Rob Font, former champion Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera. He also had an amazing competitive fight against former champ Petr Yan.

Alexandre Pantoja is currently experiencing a remarkable ascent since his last defeat in 2020, and Deiveson Figueiredo is one of the few fighters against whom Pantoja has tasted defeat.

If Figueiredo decides to make a return, him vs Pantoja can be a Steller encounter at UFC 316.

5. Alexandre Pantoja vs Brandon Royval.

This option is very unlikely to happen, but it is also a truth that Brandon Royval gathered two consecutive wins against former champ Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira.

If other possibilities don’t happen, Brandon Royval might find himself facing Alexandre Pantoja for the third time. Their second fight became competitive in the later rounds, but in the intense moments, Pantoja used his jiu-jitsu effectively to get the victory.

Primarily Royval is a striker and after going through 07 rounds against Pantoja, it would be interesting (may not be interesting than other options) for fans (hardcore) to see what adjustments he makes if he gets the chance.