Demetrious Johnson Urges Alexandre Pantoja to Retire After UFC 331 Loss

Demetrious Johnson wants Alexandre Pantoja to walk away.

The former UFC flyweight champion and widely considered greatest 125-pounder of all time went on record this week urging Pantoja to retire following his unanimous decision loss to Joshua Van at UFC 331 last Saturday in Los Angeles. Van won by scores of 50-45, 49-47 and 49-46 inside Crypto.com Arena, handing the 36-year-old Brazilian his second straight loss to the reigning champion.

Johnson did not mince words. "Dog, ride off into the sunset," he said, per MMA Mania. "You don't want to knock down an upcoming newcomer because Pantoja is 36. You don't need to get hit. You don't need concussions anymore."

The argument carries weight because of who Pantoja already beat. He defended the flyweight title four times before losing it, stacking wins over Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Manel Kape, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France. Johnson's point is that Pantoja has cleared out the division's established names and would now be fighting newcomers on the way up, a position that rarely ends well for aging champions.

This was Pantoja's second fight against Van. Their first meeting ended after just 26 seconds when Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow. The rematch went the full five rounds, but Van was clearly the better fighter on the night.

At 36 with a resume that includes four title defenses, Pantoja has nothing left to prove. The question is whether he agrees.