Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN+ 23 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

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Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN+ 23 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 23 event in Busan, South Korea, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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First up, let’s take a look at the night’s prelim winners.

Alexandre Pantoja

Wants to fight:Deiveson Figueiredo (for the UFC flyweight title)

The callout: “I think that I’m the next in line for the title. I’ve shown it many times. Maybe it wasn’t my day in that fight (at UFC 240) against Deiveson, but I know I can come back better. My team and I we went over that fight many times. We analyzed it and saw what I could improve. There is always room for improvement, and I’m striving for perfection. I really hope Deiveson wins, and we are able to run it back, this time for the title.”

The reality: The UFC’s flyweight division is wide open once again following Henry Cejudo’s decision to relinquish the 125-pound title, and the crowning of a new champion when Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez meet on Feb. 29 will mark the beginning of a new era for the division.

Pantoja is certainly within touching distance of a title shot, but may actually be better off hoping for a Benavidez win, especially considering the recent form of the division’s other top contender, Jussier Formiga.

Formiga’s last outing saw him lose to Benavidez, which would seemingly give Pantoja a stronger case for the next shot if Benavidez captures the belt. But prior to that defeat, Formiga defeated Figueiredo which, you would assume, would make his case for the first shot more compelling if his fellow countryman wins the title in Norfolk.

Next up, let’s check out the main card.

Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN+ 23 winners want next – and how likely they'll get them