Alexandre Pantoja was still bleeding when he arrived at the UFC 301 post-fight press conference on Saturday night.
That wound was well-earned, the product of a well-timed elbow landed by opponent Steve Erceg over the course of a grueling, five-round fight. While the blow had Pantoja leaking from his scalp, it couldn’t weaken the champion’s resolve, as he retained his flyweight belt with a unanimous decision triumph at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
“You’re not gonna take me out. As long as I’m breathing I’m going to be fighting back,” Pantoja said.