Pantoja chokes out Asakura to retain UFC flyweight title

LAS VEGAS - Alexandre Pantoja put Kai Asakura to sleep with a rear-naked choke at the 2:05 mark of the second round to retain the UFC flyweight championship in the UFC 310 main event Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

It marked Pantoja's third defense of the 125-pound title over the last 12 months.

The Brazilian is now tied with Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez for the most wins in UFC flyweight history (13). He's also tied with Johnson and Deiveson Figueiredo for the most finishes in UFC flyweight history (7).

After the victory, Pantoja challenged Johnson - one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time who retired earlier this year - to come back and fight him.

"I'm the GOAT here," Pantoja said in his postfight interview. "If you want to prove you're the GOAT, come back."

Pantoja welcomed Asakura to the Octagon for the first time. Asakura, a former two-time Rizin FF bantamweight champion in Japan, signed with the UFC earlier this year and was granted a rare opportunity to fight for the title in his debut.

Pantoja and Asakura set a frantic pace in the first round. Pantoja tagged Asakura with a left hand and got on top early. Asakura eventually made it back to his feet and landed some good shots of his own.

In the second round, Pantoja jumped on Asakura's back and dragged him to the mat. Pantoja locked in a rear-naked choke after a few adjustments, choking Asakura unconscious.

Pantoja is now riding a seven-fight winning streak and remains unbeaten since 2020. The 34-year-old captured the title against Brandon Moreno in July 2023 and defended it against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg in December 2023 and May 2024, respectively.

Asakura suffered the first submission loss of his career, ending the 31-year-old's two-fight winning streak. He was coming off a knockout win over former Bellator champion Juan Archuleta in December 2023.