Prior to UFC 313, Dana White had set the stage for Alex Pereira‘s climb to pound-for-pound glory. According to the UFC head honcho, a win over Magomed Ankalaev may put the Brazilian in serious contention for the top spot in the rankings. However, the fight did not go as planned for ‘Poatan.’ Instead of establishing his legacy, Alex Pereira was thoroughly beaten over five rounds, leaving fans and commentators wondering what the defeat would signify for his position in the sport. The answer arrived quickly—and it surely wasn’t pretty.
The UFC’s latest pound-for-pound rankings have been announced. Not only did Magomed Ankalaev debut at No. 6, but Alex Pereira suffered a severe plummet, slipping five spots to No. 8. Just days before, he was mentioned as a possible No. 1. He is now further from the top than he has ever been. But after the dismal performance, it is quite understandable. After all, Ankalaev is a dangerous but frequently underrated contender. And he proved the same as he dominated Pereira from the first round.
The Dagestani’s strategy was straightforward: neutralize Pereira’s striking, wear him down, and control the fight. While it lacked the highlight-reel moments supporters had hoped for, his performance was a tactical masterclass that left Pereira furious and unable to make a comeback. The Russian had spent years slogging through the division, sometimes overlooked in title debates, but on fight night in Las Vegas, he made sure the world noticed. From the new rankings, we can clearly say that he has finally earned the credit that he deserved.
Magomed Ankalaev has finally arrived, not just as the new light heavyweight champion but also as a force in the pound-for-pound debate. It took him a 13-fight unbeaten record to get his shot, and now, after defeating one of the UFC’s biggest stars, he’s finally receiving his due. However, it seems like fans are disappointed to see the Brazilian suffer such a massive drop after just one loss. In fact, they even took to social media to voice their disapproval of the shift.
Fans lose their calm over Alex Pereira’s major drop
As soon as the new rankings hit the internet, fans rallied in support of Alex Pereira. Why? Well, that’s because ‘Poatan’ ruled 2024 by saving Dana White and the UFC several times by accepting short notice fights and winning them all. So, when the Brazilian was pushed down to the number 8 spot of the pound-for-pound rankings from the 3rd spot, fans believed it was unfair and made sure the UFC knew about it. Taking to the comments, the fans called it a robbery, as they wrote, “That makes literally no sense that he dropped that much. It was actually a robbery if you ask me.” “How TF does he drop that much after 1 loss? It wasn’t even a bad loss either.” “3 to 8 is harsh ,” and “That’s some bulls—-; he loses one time now he’s down 5 spots.”
To make matters worse for the fans of the Brazilian knockout artist, new light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev made his debut on the list and directly grabbed the number 6 spot on the rankings. This definitely felt like a pinch of salt on their wounds. When it comes to MMA, a diehard fan leans on statistics like a drunken man leans on a lamppost—only for support, not for illumination. So, despite Ankalaev getting a convincing win and being the new champion, to see the Russian climb above Pereira really made it sting. As a result, they wrote in the comments, “Pereria 8, Dagestan boy gets one good name on his little dog water resume and jumps up to #6 lmfao,” “ANKALAEV??!!! WTFFF,” and “One win makes him go to 6? Absolute robbery!”
Many other fans were of the opinion that the entire list felt a little odd. Some were of the opinion that Pantoja deserved a spot much higher than the 9th spot, while others believed that Ankalaev should’ve been left out of the top 10. So, to no one’s surprise, it didn’t take fans long before they rallied against the entire list in the comments. They shared, “This ranking s—-.” “These rankings never make sense,” and “These rankings are a joke.” Well, it surely looks like the new update is as controversial as it can be. But what do you think of the new rankings? Let us know in the comments.
The post “Actually a Robbery”- After Dana White’s Warning, Alex Pereira’s Massive Drop From UFC P4P Rankings Has Fans Raise Concerns appeared first on EssentiallySports.