“If you can’t be a champion as a fighter you can be a champion in life,” said Alex Pereira while sitting with his friend/training partner Glover Teixeria before UFC 313. This moment was captured in one of the embedded videos leading up to the fight, where ‘Poatan’ proved why he is both a champion inside and outside the cage. Pereira proved time and time again that he was nigh impossible. He not only took fights on short notice (more than once) but also defended his light heavyweight belt three times with very little gap between the fights.
Pereira had to face a bitter reality by the end of UFC 313—he lost fair and square over five rounds. But even though Magomed Ankalaev defeated him with his relentless pressure, he could not take the Brazilian down even after 11 attempts. The 37-year-old might have lost, but he has not given up yet. In his post-fight interview, Pereira told Joe Rogan: “I’m gonna keep training, I feel good, I don’t think I’m hurt in any way, I’m going to take a few days off and get back to training. This is my life.”
Michael Bisping, who initially used the word ‘lazy’ to describe Pereira’s performance, gave full-proof advice to the former light heavyweight champion for his return to the cage in a new YouTube video. Bisping said, “I say take a few months off, come back, fight Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi. Do it in an arena where, kind of, Magomed Ankalaev is going to be the hometown favorite. He’s gonna have all the support. Go in there, wreck shop, get the belt back, and look for a knockout. But it’s gonna be his last chance at 37 years old and maybe it might be the last time we ever see Alex Pereira fight again.”
And with regard to ‘Poatan’ possibly retiring, ‘The Count’ said, “I don’t think that would be the case, but if it was god, what a career. And talk about making a splash in the UFC in a very short amount of time, no one’s done that better than Alex Pereira.”
MMA: UFC 313 – Las Vegas-Pereira vs Ankalaey Mar 8, 2025 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Alex Pereira red gloves prepares to fight Magomed Ankalaev not pictured during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStephenxR.xSylvaniex 20250308_mcd_cs1_181
However, he still warned ‘Poatan’ stating, “But make no mistake, next time up against Magomed Ankalaev, this will be the final chance. If you lose two in a row, you ain’t get a third matchup.“ So Bisping did help but still gave a warning of the consequences if he lost twice.
The Brazilian started well, before the Dagestani bounced back in the second segment, shaking up the former Glory Kickboxing champion’s stance. Round three was a pretty close one but from the fourth onwards, the Dagestani shut down the former 205-lb king with his wrestling. Even though Pereira tried to finish the fight with a bang, he did not succeed.
In the end, it was Magomed Ankalaev who emerged victorious, winning via 48-47 on two cards and 49-46 on the other. However, Alex Pereira has no plans to slow down and wants a rematch against Ankalaev who he embraced inside the cage.
Alex Pereira’s future plans for UFC
Alex Pereira has seen both the highs and lows in his MMA career. And now he has been met with the lows again, but this isn’t the end for him. He is more than determined to come back and have a rematch against the new light heavyweight champion. He has decided to take some time off from fighting and rest until he gets back in the gym, but it doesn’t look like he’s done with Anklalaev. “I’m gonna take a few days off and go back to training,” said Pereira in the Octagon after his fight at UFC 313.
However, Ankalaev is not the only opponent that he has as an option. Let’s not forget that ‘The Czech Samurai’ aka Jiri Prochazka is determined to defeat Pereira. Prochazka has not lost a single fight in the UFC except for the two he had against the Brazilian star. And now he is ready for the trilogy fight. While congratulating the new champion, he did not forget to ask for the last dance from his foe from the past.
“Congrats to [Magomed Ankalaev], beautiful pressure. Most people don’t like it, but you won the title for now,” wrote Jiri Prochazka on X. “[Alex Pereira], last dance?” Asked the fighter on X.
Now that Pereira has many options for opponents and he even has a plan to move to heavyweight, what do you think he will choose to do? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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