After suffering a broken arm and losing his flyweight title to Joshua Van, former champion Alexandre Pantoja is now fully healed and ready to negotiate his return to the Octagon. His longtime coach, Marcos "Parrumpa" da Matta, who has trained countless UFC fighters, says the Brazilian star is eager for a rematch—and the timing couldn't be better.

Da Matta and Pantoja watched the UFC 328 co-main event between Van and Tatsuro Taira from front-row seats, studying every move. "I particularly wanted Van to win because I really wanted this rematch," da Matta told Sherdog. The American Top Team coach saw the five-round battle as a goldmine of insights. "Both fighters exposed themselves a lot—showing strengths and weaknesses. I liked what I saw."

Pantoja's arm is now fully recovered, but da Matta stresses the need for a proper championship camp. "He wouldn't be 100% to fight next week, for example. We need time. I believe that fight will happen around August or September. Now it depends more on the UFC and Joshua Van than on Pantoja."

Da Matta also weighed in on the main event, where Khamzat Chimaev lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland. While many blamed Chimaev's massive 40-pound weight cut for the loss, the coach was quick to defend Strickland's performance. "People are saying Chimaev lost because of the weight cut. Hold on. What about Strickland? There was a guy there who made Chimaev tired and, in my opinion, won that fight in the last two minutes of a 25-minute war. Strickland deserves all the credit."

The coach revealed that former Bellator champion Johnny Eblen, a top-10 middleweight who trains at ATT, had sparred with Strickland. "He said it was very difficult to keep Strickland on the ground. That proved to be true." For fight fans and apparel enthusiasts alike, this sets the stage for a compelling rematch later this year—one that could define the next chapter of the flyweight division.