Prediction: Alexandre Pantoja via Submission
Let’s start with what we already know. Kai Kara-France has a cannon for a right hand. That thing is a missile, and so far nobody’s figured out how to fully take it away. He’s dropped and hurt just about everyone who stands in front of him for too long. He’s got tight striking, great footwork, and when he’s in rhythm, he can be a real problem. But that’s also the issue—he needs rhythm, he needs space, and he needs time to line you up.
Pantoja doesn’t give you any of that.
Pantoja is all gas no breaks. The pressure he puts on is relentless, but it’s smart pressure. He cuts off the cage, stays right in your face, and mixes it up just enough to keep you from settling in. And his chin? That thing is legendary. You can hit him with a clean right, and he’ll just blink and keep moving forward. And that’s what makes him so dangerous to a guy like Kai—he doesn’t get discouraged, and he doesn’t get deterred by power.
He’s also got championship-round experience that Kai simply doesn’t match. We’ve seen Pantoja go five hard rounds and still be in kill mode late. That pace just wear guys out. And once you’re on the back foot, defending strikes and takedowns and scrambles, the real danger shows up: his jiu-jitsu.
Pantoja isn’t just a black belt—he’s a finisher. His back takes are ridiculous, his transitions are seamless, and when he gets a dominant position, it’s almost always game over. Kai’s never faced anyone with the kind of submission threat Pantoja brings. No one’s pressured him like this. No one’s tested him this deep into the fire with every area of MMA layered together. If this hits the ground and Pantoja gets to work, it’s curtains.