By the Numbers: Wilson Reis vs. Alexandre Pantoja

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division has never been so competitive with guys like Alexandre Pantoja rising up the ladder. Currently ranked No. 5, he is set to face a gritty veteran in Wilson Reis, who sits just above him in the rankings. Here are some numbers that may just shape their upcoming encounter at UFC 236 this Saturday.

Octagon experience

Reis has been with the UFC since 2013, conquering the more experienced Ivan Menjivar on his promotional debut. He would win 6 of his next 11 fights, facing the division’s finest along the way. These include Scott Jorgensen, Jussier da Silva, John Moraga, and former and current champions Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo, respectively. While Pantoja is no rookie, he only entered the promotion in 2017 but has stayed active, with a record of 4-1.

Common opponents:
Versus Dustin Ortiz

In his match with Ortiz, Reis proved he was a force at 125, grinding out a decision over the Roufusport product. He scored a total of nine takedowns and was in an aggressive hunt for a submission at one point. In the end, Reis earned the nods of all three judges at 30-27. Pantoja, on the other hand, wasn’t successful against Ortiz. He started out promisingly and almost finished his opponent with a choke but failed to sustain the momentum. “The Cannibal” lost to the tune of 28-29 across the board.

Versus Ulka Sasaki

Reis displayed masterful grappling to beat Sasaki over three rounds. He did have a rough start though, as the Japanese fighter’s straight punches were comfortably landing. But when Reis found his grappling rhythm, there was no turning back. Sasaki, who taunted Reis at one point, had no answer for his six takedowns. Pantoja also showcased his slick ground game and was so good that Sasaki didn’t see rounds two and three. The end came at 2:18 of round one after Pantoja sunk in a tight rear-naked choke that forced his opponent to tap.

Wins by submission

Both Reis and Pantoja are dangerous when the fight goes to the ground. Reis prides of 10 stoppages by submission in 23 victories while Pantoja has 8 in 20 wins. Reis, who is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, tapped Diego Jimenez, Zach Makovsky, Justin Robbins, Shad Lierley, Zac George, Bruno Menezes, Billy Vaughan, Owen Roddy, Scott Jorgensen and Hector Sandoval. Pantoja’s victims are Antonio Carlos, Bruno Azevedo, Rodrigo Favacho dos Santos, Daniel Araujo, Matt Manzanares, Damacio Page, Neil Seery and Sasaki.

Wins by knockout

Between the two, Pantoja is the more well-rounded fighter as he presents a good balance of wins by submission and knockout. He currently owns six victories by KO or TKO over Peterson Malfort, Gabriel Wolff, Bruno Moreno, Magno Alves, Samuel de Souza and Sandro Gemaque de Souza. And while Reis has seen an improvement in his standup, he has yet to stop an opponent due to strikes.