Alexandre Pantoja is on his way to UFC greatness after earning his fourth-straight title defense last night (Sat., June 28, 2025) at UFC 317 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, stopping Kai Kara-France with a third-round submission (rear-naked choke).
While Pantoja has looked unstoppable and came into Saturday’s co-main event as a sizeable betting favorite, many thought Kara-France’s power and offensive pressure could cause some issues for the champion. Unfortunately for Kara-France, Pantoja was ready to level up yet again and push his dominance to a new level.
After an entertaining first two rounds that saw Pantoja’s grappling and constant pressure rule the way, the UFC flyweight champion went back to the well in the third round and grabbed a hold of Kara-France’s back. From there, Pantoja would work for the rear-naked choke. Kara-France fought the hands for a good while before finally giving in and tapping out.
After the fight, Pantoja had a staredown with fellow flyweight Joshua Van, who defeated Brandon Royval on the UFC 317 main card to push his win streak to four. The two will meet for the title next.
Check out Pantoja’s finish and post-fight faceoff below:
For complete UFC 317 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
