Alex Pereira recently suffered a defeat against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, officially becoming the former light heavyweight champion.

At the UFC 313 event that just ended at noon yesterday, March 9, Vietnam time, Alex Pereira became the former light heavyweight champion after losing by unanimous decision to Magomed Ankalaev. This was only the second defeat for “Poatan” in the UFC, before that the Brazilian fighter lost to Israel Adesanya when he was still fighting in the middleweight division nearly 2 years ago.

This was a match where Pereira had a lot of trouble against Ankalaev’s flexible play and abundant physical strength. Originally from Dagestan, Russia, Ankalaev not only fought well on the ground like his compatriots, he also had excellent standing ability and launched many dangerous attacks that forced Pereira to retreat and wait for a counterattack opportunity.

There was some controversy over the outcome of the fight, with some saying Alex Pereira deserved to win. However, despite the controversy, UFC boss Dana White insisted that Magomed Ankalaev deserved to win the fight.

Dana White hints at rematch between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev (Photo: Getty)
After this fight ended, Dana White hinted at the possibility of a rematch between the two sides. When asked by veteran reporter John Morgan whether the former champion would be given the opportunity to get revenge, the UFC president answered briefly: ” Maybe so .”, opening up hope for a Pereira vs Ankalaev 2 match in the near future.

Alex Pereira’s defeat to Magomed Ankalaev did not deter him. Speaking in an interview in the Octagon with Joe Rogan after the match, “Poatan” affirmed that he would put the defeat behind him and return to his daily work soon.

“ I will continue to train. I feel good, I have no serious injuries. I will rest for a few days and quickly return to the gym. This is my life, ” Pereira said.