Dec 7, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) reacts after defeating Kai Asakura (blues gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

mma

UFC 317 Results- Alexandre Pantoja Makes Flyweight History With Kai-Kara France Submission, Welcomes Joshua Van Next!

Alexandre Pantoja dominates Kai Kara-France in the UFC 317 co-main event and in the process, makes flyweight history!

Dec 7, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) reacts after defeating Kai Asakura (blues gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Some fighters are born to make history, and Alexandre Pantoja is definitely one of them! The Brazilian champion has been quietly building one of the most impressive resumes in UFC history. However, his latest performance against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317 might be his most significant yet.

At 35 years old, Pantoja continues to prove that experience and technical skill can overcome youth and athleticism every single time. His journey to the top hasn’t been easy either. He had to work his way through the ranks, facing setbacks and learning from defeats against fighters like Deiveson Figueiredo. But those losses only made him stronger and more determined to reach the pinnacle of his division.

The rematch with Kara-France carried extra weight because of their history together. Nearly a decade ago, these two faced off in an exhibition bout during The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, but both fighters were completely different people back then. Kara-France represented the dangerous striking power that comes out of City Kickboxing, the same gym that produced champions like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. He had earned his title shot with a spectacular TKO victory over Steve Erceg. But Pantoja has always been the kind of fighter who gets better with each fight, and his recent performances have been nothing short of masterful!

Alexandre Pantoja Showcases A Masterclass In Grappling Against Kai Kara-France

From the moment the fight began, Pantoja showed exactly why he is considered one of the best grapplers in the entire UFC. He stormed forward in the opening round, completely ignoring Kara-France’s striking threats and immediately dragging the fight to the ground. Once there, he transitioned to Kara-France’s back. The way he controlled position while hunting for submissions was a thing of beauty. Kara-France simply couldn’t escape his grip no matter how hard he tried.

The second round showed Pantoja’s evolution as a complete mixed martial artist. He opened with sharp body kicks and leg kicks, proving he’s not just a one-dimensional grappler anymore. When he decided to take the fight back to the ground, he did it with ease. Kara-France managed to scramble back to his feet faster this time, but Pantoja was ready with striking combinations that kept his opponent guessing. The champion’s ability to seamlessly blend his striking and grappling games has reached a level that few fighters ever achieve.

The Cannibal is UNSTOPPABLE 😤@PantojaMMA isn't going anywhere anytime soon! pic.twitter.com/5xEnIpGgAA
— UFC (@ufc) June 29, 2025

The third round was where Pantoja made history in the most dramatic way possible. Kara-France came out swinging, knowing he needed a finish, but Pantoja’s experience showed as he weathered the storm and once again secured the takedown. This time, he wasted no time getting to the back and locking in the body triangle. The rear-naked choke that followed was textbook perfect. Kara-France had no choice but to tap at the 1:55 mark of the third round.

Submission Win Breaks Records, Ready To Face Joshua Van Next

With this submission victory, Pantoja didn’t just defend his title for the fourth time, he made legitimate UFC history. He now holds the record for most submissions in UFC flyweight division history, and his five title fight wins are the second-most in the division’s history. Perhaps most impressively, his 14 wins in the flyweight division are more than any other fighter has managed. These aren’t just numbers on a page either; they represent years of dedication, improvement, and an unwavering commitment to being the best fighter he can be.

Coming to an Octagon near YOU 👀@PantojaMMA 🤝 @JoshuaVanBT #UFC317 pic.twitter.com/s66GTkWRnG
— UFC (@ufc) June 29, 2025

The timing of this historic performance couldn’t be better, especially with Joshua Van’s impressive victory over Brandon Royval earlier in the night. Van’s callout of whoever won the title fight means fans are likely to see a fresh matchup that could provide fireworks for the flyweight division. Van also got in the cage to face off against the reigning champion and fans are stoked for this!

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alexandre Pantoja

Kai Kara-France

UFC 317

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!