Former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira made rounds on the internet after expressing frustration regarding the impending rematch against Magomed Ankalaev and even hinting at retirement from the UFC. “I’ve already had thoughts of not fighting anymore,” ‘Poatan’ wrote on X. But after the tweet went viral, Pereira would come out to claim that his account was suspended and dismissed the claims he made on social media.
Meanwhile, former MMA fighter Josh Thomson believes that Alex Pereira might suffer some consequences for the viral tweet. He recently opened up about a discussion he had with some of the managers of UFC fighters, who let him know about the new approach that Dana White and Co. have adopted. A fighter can be a superstar like Conor McGregor or maybe they are on the lower end of the UFC roster, but if there’s anything said against the UFC’s wishes, according to Thomson, it may not bode well with the promotion’s brass.
“As soon as thing was put out… I’ve had conversations with like a lot of these fighters’ managers. Literally, they were texting me this. Like, we’re in a group chat… They’re like, ‘Dude, everybody’s dispensable.’ Like, no one’s safe these days,” Josh Thomson stated on the Weighing In podcast. “Conor’s not safe, like, you know, Alex’s not safe. [It] doesn’t matter who you are… The sport is now bigger than any athlete… If you’re a fighter and I’ve said this over the last three weeks, you do not have anywhere else to go that will make you the same amount of money.”
MMA currently has only one big player, the UFC, as other promotions are struggling to set up regular fights and pay their fighters. So, the only thing that Alex Pereira or any other fighter can do is just follow the path that Dana White and Co. carve for them. Josh Thomson claims that the UFC isn’t willing to engage in a dialogue with its fighters, and if they ruffle the feathers, the promotion can sabotage their careers.
“So, either start minding your Ps and Qs [and] start taking all the fights they want. They offer you, unless something comes up and you just can’t do it… But they’re not going to be putting up with you guys’ s–t much,” The MMA veteran added. “They’re gonna be like, ‘You guys know, in contracts and in fights offered, there won’t be much available. You have nowhere to go. Take it or leave it. S–t or get off the pot. Make exciting fights or we’ll cut ya. And good luck. No one else can you if we say he’s boring.’”
October 5, 2024, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: ALEX PEREIRA speaks to the media after his 5-round Light Heavyweight Title Bout at UFC 307 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City USA – ZUMAs346 20241005_zsp_s346_121 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx
Well, Alex Pereira seems like he’s going to get his rematch as Magomed Ankalaev is willing to give him the shot. But ahead of their potential rematch, ‘Poatan’ opened up about his last fight and even revealed that he could have pulled out of the clash. Here’s what the former champion had to say.
Alex Pereira claims he almost pulled out of UFC 313
Alex Pereira has been one of the most active fighters in recent times. He has saved UFC cards multiple times and even fought in certain fights with some kind of injury. But ahead of his fight against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, he considered pulling out of the fight since he came into the fight with a broken hand and norovirus, which made rounds on the internet even before the fight, but he didn’t want to use that as an excuse.
“My hand is fine, but it did happen with a lot of things, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse,” Alex Pereira told Ariel Helwani. “Anytime I pushed through things, I was able to overcome. That’s our story. Many times [it] worked. This time was not my moment, but I have no regrets.” Despite losing the fight, ‘Poatan’ seems satisfied with the fact that he went ahead and competed that night.
So far, Dana White has only announced fights until UFC 319, and we are yet to get a date for the potential rematch between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. But what do you think? Will this fight take place in 2025 after ‘Poatan’s tirade in the hacked post? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post “Alex’s Not Safe” – Josh Thomson Sends Alex Pereira a Strong Message on Risking UFC Career After Hacking Controversy appeared first on EssentiallySports.