Alex Pereira was the UFC’s cash cow for the last few years. The former light heavyweight champion was the guy the UFC turned to when they needed to save a card. UFC 300 doesn’t have a worthy main event? Call Pereira. Conor McGregor has pulled out of his much-awaited comeback at UFC 303, and the UFC needs a superstar to replace him on two weeks ‘ notice? Call Pereira.
But alas, in a shocking turn of events, ‘Poatan’ lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March. And it seems like the relationship between the Brazilian superstar and the Dana White-led promotion has worsened since then. All of a sudden, out of nowhere last week, fans were treated to ‘Poatan’ calling out the UFC and threatening to quit.
“I always answered the UFC’s calls, but if they want to play with me, we can do that. I’ve never spoken poorly of the UFC but with what I’ve just heard, I’m disheartened. I’ve already had thoughts of not fighting anymore, and after what was just relayed to me this may be the start,” the X post read.
Pereira would go on to claim that he didn’t know anything about the aforementioned X post, and said that his account had been hacked. But many, including legendary MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy are skeptical and feel that the X post in question was not sent out by a hacker, but that it had ‘Poatan’s approval.
“Look, sometimes, you get mad and you text, you put out things—you tweet or you put on Instagram—things that you go ‘I shouldn’t have put that out there. What are we going to do?’ ‘He got hacked!’ Okay, awesome, so I’m going to believe that ‘Poatan’ got hacked,” McCarthy told co-host Josh Thomson on their Weighing In podcast.
“This comes down to your dad’s rule for tattooing, just a little bit different, you know. If you want to tweet that out, wait until morning. If you think it’s still a good idea, then do it,” he added.
March 8, 2025, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: MAGOMED ANKALAEV 21-1-1, 1 NC of Teletl, Russia defeats ALEX PEREIRA 12-3-0 of SoÂo Paulo, Brazil by unanimous decision 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 during UFC 313 at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Las Vegas USA – ZUMAo117 20250308_zsp_o117_006 Copyright: xMikaelxOnax
As you can see, ‘Big’ John McCarthy feels that the X post was a mistake on Pereira’s part, perhaps sent out when the former light heavyweight champion was emotional. However, he is willing to go with Pereira’s explanation that his account was indeed hacked so that the Brazilian isn’t put in an uncomfortable position—a sentiment shared by ‘Big John’s co-host.
Josh Thomson feels Alex Pereira’s X post indicates friction between ‘Poatan’ and the UFC
Josh Thomson agreed with McCarthy that it was Pereira who sent that message, perhaps at a time when he was emotional, or maybe even drunk. “John, like, when I, after I’ve had a drink or two, I just put my phone away. Nothing good ever comes of, like, being on your phone after you’ve had like two or three drinks. I don’t even know if he drinks, I’m just simply saying,” Thomson said.
But if the message was indeed sent out by ‘Poatan’, it raises a very important question—what was Alex Pereira upset about? He did mention the UFC ‘playing’ with him and being “disappointed” at “what I’ve heard.” Which makes it seem like the UFC is not agreeing to something that ‘Poatan’ wants to do.
This could mean either one of two things—something to do with his rematch with Magomed Ankalaev, or maybe he wants to move up to heavyweight and fight Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall there. “I was offered to Fight Alex [at] international fight week if the man don’t want it let’s move on I’m ready for everyone. I dare you,” ‘Big Ank’ wrote on X recently, indicating that maybe ‘Poatan’ doesn’t want to rematch him, or at least rematch him at UFC 317 in late June.
Pereira had spoken about moving up to fight for the heavyweight title many times last year. And with Jon Jones having welcomed his call-out, expressing interest in facing ‘Poatan’ in his farewell fight for the undisputed heavyweight crown, it may be that the Brazilian is lobbying hard to make Jones-Pereira happen. Or maybe the alleged friction between him and the UFC is on a different matter altogether, and has nothing to do with a super-fight with Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.
With Pereira denying he even sent out the X post in the first place, we are likely to remain in the dark. What do you think about ‘Big’ John McCarthy’s take on Alex Pereira’s eyebrow-raising X post?
The post “Sometimes You Get Mad” – Ex-UFC Ref Defends Alex Pereira as Dana White Put on Alert After Hacking Controversy appeared first on EssentiallySports.