"On Wednesday ahead of his return at UFC 323, flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja was the 85th recipient of a letterman jacket celebrating 50 clean drug tests under the UFC's Anti-Doping Program. As Jeff Novitzky, UFC Senior VP of Athlete Health and Performance pointed out, while many fighters have been celebrated for their clean test history, few are among the conversation as the greatest in their weight class, as Pantoja is."
"Pantoja (30-5) was equally complimentary of Van on Wednesday. "He's looking amazing. 2025 is a great year for him. What a good journey," he stated during the UFC 323 media day. "I think he's inspiring a lot of this young generation. A lot of guys seeking the UFC belts, not too far, if you make very good work. And Josh makes that. He's been inspiring a lot of guys from this new generation, especially the guys born in the 2000s.""
""When you talk about, do a fight for the belt, I have a chance to fight for the belt one more time. That's my mindset all the time. I do not go Saturday night to defend anything, I go to conquer another belt. And when you fight for the belt, you need to think about, you're in prime time. I finished a lot of guys to make this moment happen for me, and I know I'm going to fight with the best Joshua Van.""
Alexandre Pantoja received recognition as the 85th fighter awarded a letterman jacket for 50 clean tests under the UFC Anti-Doping Program. Pantoja has four flyweight title defenses and sits at #5 on the pound-for-pound list behind Demetrious Johnson. Opponent Joshua Van called Pantoja the GOAT, and Pantoja praised Van as inspiring to the new generation, especially fighters born in the 2000s. Pantoja emphasized that he approaches the upcoming fight to conquer another belt rather than merely defend, and he expects to face a tougher opponent than the one who fought Brandon Royval.
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