Alexandre Pantoja Channels Rocky Balboa in Emotional Post After UFC 331 Loss

Alexandre Pantoja has broken his silence after losing the flyweight title rematch to Joshua Van at UFC 331, and he reached for the most time-tested motivational playbook in sports: Rocky Balboa.

Pantoja posted to Instagram with a quote from the franchise: "It ain't about hitting hard. It's all about how much you can take it and move forward." He thanked supporters for their encouragement and signaled that he views the loss as a chapter, not an ending.

The rematch went the full five rounds, with Van earning a unanimous decision and a Fight of the Night bonus. Both men took home $100,000 for their efforts, a reward that reflected the quality of the contest. It was their second meeting after Van won their first fight at UFC 323 by first-round injury TKO.

Two consecutive losses to the reigning champion leave Pantoja in a difficult position. Per Yahoo Sports, analysts suggest he will need two or three wins against top contenders before earning another title shot. At 36 years old, that timeline is not working in his favor, but Pantoja has rebuilt before. He lost three of his first five UFC bouts and clawed his way back to a championship reign that included defenses against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.

The Rocky reference was not subtle, but it was earned. Pantoja has always been a fighter who takes pride in durability and will. Whether the flyweight division gives him a runway back to the title or whether Van's era has definitively begun is the question that hangs over one of the division's most respected champions.