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Alexandre Pantoja has had 10 long months to recover, spend time with his family and think about getting back what was once his.<\/p>\n
Now the former flyweight champion is healthy, hungry and ready to reclaim the UFC title when he challenges Joshua Van at UFC 331 on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a long 10 months. After two years with the champion(ship), 5 titles fights, 6 title fights, at some points, good. Take time off, enjoy my family, enjoy myself, but in the same points I\u2019m very hungry to conquer one more time,\u201d Pantoja told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter two days (following) my fight with Josh I\u2019m back to the gym, start training, because I know I can\u2019t take too much time off from the gym. It\u2019s going to be (tougher) to get (to) this high level again. That\u2019s why I\u2019m back so early after a huge injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pantoja had some fun talking about the age difference between himself and Van. He joked that some of Van\u2019s antics almost made him want to give the youngster a little old school discipline, but he knows it only added more hype to the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe do a pretty good job. I had to (educate myself on these younger generations). I\u2019m from the 90s. In that time, if you don\u2019t respect your mother, your father, (they\u2019re) going to slap you. At some point I (thought about doing that to Van), but Dana White stopped me,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everybody take more attention about this fight. This fight is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cManel Kape is next. I don\u2019t know who\u2019s going to fight with him, I expect myself, and Manel is one of the best. He fight for so long, he\u2019s old generation like myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to see someone like him fight so much time, so long to this moment in his career, and I really want to fight with him. For the melt much better.\u201d<\/p>\n