The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Alexandre Pantoja on Joshua Van, Demetrious Johnson GOAT debate, losing in training

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

Alexandre Pantoja IS BACK on the Daniel Cormier Check-In series, this time in his fifth title defense, this time against up-and-coming star Joshua Van! Pantoja reflects on his wins over Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France, Kai Asakura and Steve Erceg, and why this challenge may well be his MOST DIFFICULT challenge to date. Alexandre gives Van flowers for his confidence and fighting skill this early into his MMA and UFC career and says HE KNEW Van would be his next fight after the victory over Kai Kara-France. Plus, DC talks to Pantoja about the GOAT debate in the flyweight division, and how he's on his way to rivaling the great Demetrious Johnson if he can keep stringing wins together late in his career. #Volume All lines provided by Hard Rock BetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

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Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

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Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to deep cover the family man. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And someday into right now with Body by Jake Radio, nonstop workout music and expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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call 1-800-9 with it, and if you have a gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. You're a triple champ, champ, champ, champ. Just defending that belt all the time, huh? Yeah, I try to make fight with great again. It's going good, man. Yeah. Some fun fights, some good defenses. And now you got a young guy in front of you that is,

destined, right, to try and challenge your throne. What do you make it Joshua Van? I'm happy, you know, to have this name, a new name, and nobody expect Joshua Van fight for the title in the end of the year, you know. And that's so amazing, you know, I think all the fans like that,

especially because born in 2000, first guy born in 2000 to fight for the belt. That's so inspiration for all this new generation, all this new, fighter generation, you know, the guys figured out this moment change, you know, young guys coming. And I like to call me an old school guy, my mindset, my mindset, my style. But I see a lot of good things about Josh Yvonne, you know, he has very good, strong mindset, you know.

He talks about, he don't like to talk about the different age. He has me because if he beat me, he don't want people to talk about. about I'm old, you know, and he talked about something about the game playing. The guy said, hey, you have a game playing and he talked about something I understand this very, very quickly. You don't need a game playing, you know, when you go to the fight, if you have a game in the fight, everything can change in the fight, you know. Of course, you have your game plan, you make your movements in the gym for your opponent,

but you not can take that for and like a whole debt for you in the fight you know all changing when the fight's starting you know and uh i understand his mindset is very strong yeah you know the last fight you fought kai kara franz right he fought on the same night as you guys when he and brandon rovall had that fight did you believe that he would be next after that or do you think it was because of the circumstances. He was in the arena. He was there. He got to go in the ring with you.

Did you watch those guys fight? And when he was done, go, that's the kid. I'm going to fight next. No, of course. When he accept the fight with the Ravel, I know my next opponent can be Reval or Josh Yvonne, you know. Because Reval comes to victory from Moreno and Taita,

he makes his a good statement and two back to the fight for the title. But Joshua would take that for him, you know. Amazing fighting. When I look to that fight, amazing job both do it. And I'm our map in the locker rooms. And when it fights over,

I understand if I beat Kykar-France, Joshua is my next opponent. But I like to take that. He'd do it great in that fight, yeah. But in the same moment, he just takes three weeks. the short notice short notice fight

but when he fight with me suddenly he has a full camp and I expect a better fighter you know and this makes me motivation a lot that's why I'm training very hard

for that fight you have defended the belt multiple times now but as the defenses come they've gotten easier how do you think that you're separating yourself from the division because before

you were in these barn burners with Moreno. But the last two, with Cara France, with Sakura. It almost seemed easy, right? How are you separating from these guys now

as you have been the champion longer? I think after they take the belt, I put a lot of work in the gym. I haven't been worked a lot to get this belt. In the moment, I take the belt. In the moment I take the belt, when I back to the gym and then my training partners beat me

I understand I'm not more champion You keep saying that Your training partners beat you Your training partners are not beating you in the gym Pantosia all the time I understand you like want to make your partners feel good They're not beating you in the gym I'm from America Top Team man

I know you are but still No no we have very tough Tough challenges than in my gym You know But what I try to say If I'm not 100% Like when I'm back to the gym You need like a climb again

the mountain to get your shape, to get your level. And the guys take advantage about that, you know. And I understand I'm not more champion of the world. I have a chance one more time to prove that. What I try to say, I'm not putting in my mind I'm the champion of the world all the time because you try to climb this mountain all the time is so hard. It is. But after these two years, I'm learning a lot.

I'm respecting more of my body. I get a very bad diet right now. very early and a lot of guys ask me why you did it's not just about what i did is what i not did you know yeah things i'm cut away it's like uh when i love my kids and sometimes i'm not can go to watch the tournaments uh like um stay more house ufc call me sometimes to go to the to some appearance i say no because i want training and all this respect i have to another fighters for my division you know This makes me better, you know. I think I'm a better athlete right now.

And because that, I can make a better performance in the octagon, you know. And the one point two is like before I tried to make all the fights like a street fighter, you know. Yeah. But I don't need that. I have a lot of technique. I fight for like close to 20 years. I have a professional fighter. I can put my skills out.

And when I put that out, especially with the Sakura in Caracas, France, everybody can see. I'm starting to finish my fights, you know. This happened in the training, my training. When I'm not trying to rush, it's more easy for me. When you get guys to the ground, they don't seem to have much for you. That would seem to be the easiest path to victory this weekend with Joshua Venn. He's a tremendous boxer. At times, we have seen you fight guys in the areas that they're good in

to prove that you can compete there. Do we see that? Or do we see what we saw in the last couple of fights? Because it was take him down, control him, submit him. And it would seem as though this matchup would lend itself to that being the game plan again. That's nice because you have the same moment you have the very good boxing, Josh Yavann. He had the best take down defense too, you know.

And I want that challenger, you know. I think you feel the same when you go to the fight. When you go to the fight Saturday night, I want challenge myself. You know, I want to fight with the best. fights all the world and that's why I'm here you know you have seen make my dream life you know that's my dream fight to the best fights all the world and I have opportunity one more time to when I fight to Josh Yvonne and I want to see what's coming from me you know I know he's very big good boxing but I'm

improved a lot of my striking you're talking about my last two fights with a very good two strikings and I think I won all the the rounds you know I don't remember I get any punch making me feel, you know. I think I improve a lot. I have a lot experience in my striking game. And of course, my jiu-jitsu make a lot of difference from me, you know. I think my jiu-jitsu can be in another level, you know, and this helps me a lot. But when the fight starting, I'm going to put everything out and I figure out, let's see. You know, Cai Cairofins have the best take down defense too,

and in 30 seconds I have the big take him down. But I'm grateful, you know, to have this opportunity to face off one of the best fighters. He's young, and he's a guy that fights with a lot of forward pressure. You don't back up. It's like your pressure is what's really hard for guys to deal with. But he wants to go forward too. When you guys meet in the middle, it can be explosive.

Do you expect him to be able to, Do you expect him to try to pressure you, or do you expect him to kind of be going backwards a bit, knowing that you're going to be trying to take him down? Because a lot of times when I would fight, I would fight pressure guys. But the moment I was fighting him, they would kind of go back and try to counter to try to get me on the takedown attempts. Do you think that he will try to go forward? Is that the anticipation or do you think you'll be able to back him up? Yeah, talking about the pressure he makes.

Joshua has a lot of aspects And I have the same one You know I put the pressure in my fight He put pressure in his fight He liked to put everything out He don't make a game plans That kid remember me

You know Not a kid guy I don't want to put his like a kid He's young but he's not a kid He's a man you know And another point You know he's the man of the house You know

That's so great history he have You know about come to America, live the American dream like myself, give a house for his mother, take care about his family. That's a great history, you know. But yeah, I think I can use all... And then you put the age again, you know, I feel so much more matured myself, you know.

And of course, I can use this pressure he makes to beat him, you know. I don't like to, I feel a lot of confidence, you know, but the confidence can make you make mistakes, you know. Yep. And I want to stay with my feet in the ground. And I know I have a very tough opponent Saturday night. How much is experience going to play a part in this? Because you fought everybody, right? From before you became the champion to now as the champion, you have fought the toughest guys in the division.

And because he's so nice. knew he hasn't had the opportunity to do that. How much will you be able to rely on your experience in those big fights to help you on Saturday? You know, I'm learning all the time. I'm learning with my victories. I learn, but I learn more when I lose, you know. And a lot of losing I have in my life helping me to get this moment, you know. And I like to say something.

I don't have more time to make mistakes, you know. I have a short time now. I'm with 35. I feel the best time of my life. I'm feeling the best shape of my life. And I want to enjoy that. That's why I'm staying house. I'm not going out, go to the gym all the time, train twice a day.

And I feel the difference. I'm a different fighter right now. I feel so much stronger. And I think all that, the experience, what I talked about you before, about the diet. I start to not eat sugar, try to sleep very early, enjoy my moment with my family. I think all that can happen. That's about experience, you know. It's not just the experience in the fight in the octagon, but everything you learn about

this process, you know, I'm close to make 20 years a professional fighter. And I learned so much good things, you know. And I know all that come inside with me in the octagon. Last one for me, champ, life now, right? You're the champion of the world. You got your beautiful family. Live in America, South Florida. When you look at life, like, how appreciative are you of the way that you are living today, right?

Opposed to what life could have been? I never, I never dream one life like that, you know. I'm super happy everything I conquer side of my wife and my kids, you know. I don't need a lot to live in happy. I have so much good things. I talked that before I got my first title with Moreno. I don't need the title to prove I'm the champion because I have a beautiful family on my side. Everything I did to get this moment, you know, bring my family here,

see my kids go to the school in America. He lived everything. me and my wife wish to my kids you know but right now is a day after day you know I know I can change a lot of lives with this victory Saturday night I can help a lot of people you know I like to say people list me because I have the belt you know and I want I want to make people still list me you know I have so much to share with everybody I don't like to say I want to be an example for anyone I want to be an example for my kids.

But it's hard to say that, but I think I make a lot of mistakes in my life. Now I'm a better man, and I can help a lot of guys in the same situation. You're the man. You're the man, champ. You are. Guys, Alessandre Pantosia defends his championship this weekend. Gives Joshua Vann at UFC 323. Make sure you hit the pay-per-view buy button to watch the champion action.

wanting to again, hey, not many believe that anyone would ever challenge Demetri Johnson's record for titled defenses are the greatest flyweight of all time. Right now, Alessandre Pantosia is nipping away at that legacy and closing the gap on becoming the greatest flyweight of all time. And in some people's opinion, he might already be that. And he steps into the octagon this weekend. Thanks for checking in with me, champ. I appreciate it. Until next time, guys. Peace. Hey, guys, it's us and the Jonas brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite, unhumored me with Robert Smygel and friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their Between Songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Turn someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio, nonstop workout music and excellent.

expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight. When your heart is hit, it's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Don't quit. Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets momentum.

Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free. Have a great day. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is, getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is, getting a new one put up in its place. I'm Akila Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 is about both of those things. As I was watching these statues come down, I was thinking about what it meant that I grew up in a majority of Black City, in which there were more homages to enslavers than there were to enslave people. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your... dad has been living a double life. That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.