Following his loss to Magomed Ankalaev in their recent fight, Alex Pereira expressed his disappointment at relinquishing the light heavyweight title after a five-round match at UFC 313.
Known for his thrilling fighting style and knockout power, Pereira struggled to mount a significant offense against Ankalaev. He landed some effective calf kicks early in the fight and rallied in the final round, but Ankalaev delivered the most impactful blow of the night in the second round with a strong left hook that staggered Pereira just before the round concluded.
Aside from that moment, Pereira found it difficult to gain momentum, largely due to Ankalaev’s constant forward pressure and strategy of pinning Pereira against the cage for extended periods, particularly in the championship rounds.
“I anticipated a tough fight,” Pereira stated in his post-fight interview. “Every fight I have is a battle. He applied pressure in the second round, and I felt some of his strikes. However, when he held me against the cage, he wasn’t really effective.”
Pereira added, “We stuck to our game plan, knowing he often pushes opponents to the fence and utilizes that tactic.”
Being controlled against the cage without sustaining significant damage, yet still losing the fight, was a bitter pill for Pereira to swallow.
He conceded that Ankalaev’s approach was successful in securing him the UFC light heavyweight title. Pereira also suggested that this type of strategy, while perhaps not exciting for viewers, might become more common among fighters seeking victory.
“Awarding a win for a game plan like that might encourage others to adopt similar tactics,” Pereira commented. “Some might call it a boring style, but when it leads to a win, it becomes appealing. I did hurt him against the fence; the only difference was that I was the one being pressed against it.”
Ultimately, Pereira lost by unanimous decision, with judges scoring the bout 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 in favor of Ankalaev, the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Despite the unfavorable outcome, Pereira is expected to have an opportunity to avenge his loss. UFC CEO Dana White has indicated that an immediate rematch is “probably” the next step.
While Pereira didn’t explicitly demand a rematch immediately after the fight, his stance shifted on social media.
“I’m going to make some adjustments for the rematch, and I’ll return much improved, you can be sure of it,” Pereira affirmed in a video shared on Sunday. “Never give up on your dreams. Let’s go.”
