Among all the talk on Alex Pereira’s defeat at UFC 313, Joe Rogan suddenly redirected the topic in another direction. While fans were still processing Pereira’s surprising defeat to Magomed Ankalaev, the JRE host did not focus on the outcome of the bout. Instead, he mentioned another fight from Pereira’s past, one that he believes ‘Poatan’ should not have won in the first place. Given the current argument about Pereira’s performance in the last fight and whether Ankalaev really outclassed him, Rogan has added more fuel to the fire by also bringing another major win under scrutiny.
On Joe Rogan Experience #2286, the UFC commentator and Antonio Brown were discussing Pereira’s incredible punching power. The former professional football player couldn’t help but mention Pereira’s knockout of Israel Adesanya back in UFC 281, prompting Rogan to reflect on their history in the ring. “He beat Adesanya in the first fight. Adesanya knocked him out in the second fight in the UFC. They didn’t fight again. They never fought a third time (in the UFC).” However, when talking about their kickboxing past, the JRE host did not hold back while addressing the Brazilian’s major win that, according to him, he didn’t deserve.
He said, “They fought before in kickboxing. They fought twice more, twice before that in kickboxing. One time Israel lost a decision that I think he should have won. The second time Pereira knocked him out. And then the third time Pereira knocked him out in the UFC, and then the fourth time Izzy knocked him out.” The fight in question occurred back in 2016 at Glory of Heroes 1, where ‘Poatan’ defeated Adesanya via decision. Many people recall it as a closely contested fight, but Joe Rogan’s statement implies that the judges may have gotten it wrong.
Well, this allegation is considerably more credible coming from someone who has closely tracked both fighters’ careers and analyzed their styles. So, the UFC commentator’s remark about ‘The Last Stylebender’ deserving the win in their first kickboxing match instantly added a new wrinkle to Pereira’s legacy. However, this isn’t the first time that the JRE host has talked about Alex Pereira‘s fight. In fact, he even broke down his latest defeat and revealed what went wrong for the former light heavyweight champion.
Joe Rogan breaks down Alex Pereira’s loss to Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira’s fearsome striking has decimated some of the UFC’s toughest light heavyweights, but against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, the story was different. Joe Rogan, breaking down the fight, noted how Ankalaev’s strategy left ‘Poatan’ trying to find his rhythm. “There were only a couple of moments where Pereira stunned him—the head kick and a few other good shots—but for the most part, Ankalaev controlled the distance, applied pressure, and forced ‘Poatan’ into an uncharacteristic position: backing up and avoiding shots.” Instead of dominating the fight, ‘Poatan’ was forced to defend, thus being unable to unleash his signature knockout power.
Magomed Ankalaev felt that this win was long deserved. “I don’t know if they appreciate me yet, but after this fight, they will make sure to appreciate me,” the Dagestani stated before entering the Octagon. The Russian had spent years asking for a title opportunity, sure that he had been overlooked despite his superior performance. Even while fasting for Ramadan, Ankalaev kept his word, achieving a victory that left no doubt about his place in the division. With the final horn, he became Dagestan’s third UFC champion, succeeding Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.
The JRE host was among those who acknowledged the value of Ankalaev’s performance. “Now he’s the champion of the world, against the most devastating champion we’ve seen in years,” he stated. The fight was far from the all-out strike war that fans had anticipated, but Magomed Ankalaev’s tactic worked well. By shutting down Alex Pereira’s offense and putting relentless pressure, he not only won the fight but also proved that he was the world’s best well-rounded light heavyweight. But what did you think of the fight? Do you believe that it was a well-deserved win? Let us know in the comments.
The post “I Think He Should Have Won” – Joe Rogan Stirs Controversy Over Alex Pereira’s UFC 313 Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.