‘Cannibal’ may be back sooner than expected.
It’s been just over three weeks since former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja lost his title at UFC 323, suffering a gruesome
arm injury just 30 seconds into his fight against Joshua Van.
At first glance, the injury looked catastrophic — the kind that usually means broken bones, torn ligaments, surgery, and a long layoff. Fortunately for Pantoja, that nightmare scenario never materialized.
According to his longtime head coach Marcos “Parrumpinha” DaMatta, medical imaging revealed no fractures and no significant ligament damage.
“So the really good news here is that the medical results show that there was absolutely no bone fracture and no significant ligament injury to be found,” DaMatta said. “So from there, we have a very good outlook for his return. As for the exact timing, we still don’t know because he still has to do a lot of physical therapy before he can start moving his arm. And only after he can move his arm will he be able to start light training again. After light training, he will move to intense training, and then only after that, we will have an exact idea of how long it will take for him to come back and reclaim his belt.”
So what does that actually mean in real-world terms?
Without ligament damage, surgery is off the table. According to Dines Orthopedics, a dislocated elbow typically heals in three to six weeks. For context, NFL quarterback Jayden Daniels returned in roughly five weeks from a similar injury — though that was in a non-combat sport and on his non-dominant arm.
Elbow stability is everything in MMA, especially for a grappling-heavy savage like Pantoja. With elite rehab resources and a cautious approach, a realistic return window likely lands between May and July 2026 — roughly five to seven months out.
Pantoja is 35 years old, which could slightly slow the process. Still, considering he’s already back in the gym lifting with his healthy arm instead of resting like a normal human, don’t expect him to stay away long.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor — just a guy who watches way too much MMA.
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