“Guys, is there anyone in the Light Heavyweight division who’s willing to fight me? Because Jiri and Alex do not want to fight.” Posted by Magomed Ankalaev on X, this message carried clear frustration over Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka not accepting a fight against him. ‘Big Ank’ has been relentless with his callouts, extending a challenge to the entire division. His post quickly caught the attention of Jan Blachowicz, who is eager to settle the score once and for all. But in a surprising twist, another unexpected fighter has directly involved the UFC brass to help resolve this conundrum.

Alex Pereira seemed eager to avenge his loss to Magomed Ankalaev immediately after dropping the title at UFC 313. Both fighters have even verbally agreed to a potential showdown in August. According to Joe Rogan, Poatan competed with a hand injury and battled norovirus during the fight. He’ll need time to recover, especially after fighting four times in a single calendar year. Meanwhile, ‘Big Ank’ has made it clear he’s ready to step into the cage tomorrow if needed.

Recently, it was revealed that the UFC contacted both Ankalaev and Pereira to headline the International Fight Week event, but the offer was declined by the Brazilian. While the exact reason wasn’t disclosed, it’s assumed that Pereira needed more time to prepare. Jiri Prochazka was also approached but turned down the opportunity, as his manager revealed on The Ariel Helwani Show, citing university exams as the reason. That leaves Ankalaev without an opponent, for now. Still, he’s eager to fight, even if it’s not the highly anticipated rematch against ‘Poatan.’

The current light heavyweight champion posted another tweet that stirred the pot: “Alex Pereira don’t want the Ank anymore. Let’s leave him alone because I’m not a bully. Fake ninja said he has to go back to school because he cannot read. @danawhite @MickMaynard2, give me some fish.” This fiery callout took an interesting turn and sparked a very unexpected reaction from #6 ranked heavyweight Jailton Almeida, who responded: “Hello!!! You can call me Jailton ‘FISH’ Almeida @danawhite @MickMaynard2.”

Although Almeida would be a serious addition to the light heavyweight division, given his skill set and ability to pose real problems, it’s still unlikely he’ll get a title shot right away, even after tagging the UFC brass in his callout post. The 205 lbs division is currently stacked with strong contenders like Alexander Rakic, Khalil Rountree, and Carlos Ulberg, all of whom are more likely to get the nod from the head honcho, Dana White, if needed. 

However, Alex Pereira still appears to be the UFC’s top choice for a rematch with Magomed Ankalaev. That said, his recent controversy, where he called out the UFC and then later claimed his account was hacked, has sparked a wave of mixed opinions across the MMA community. One former UFC fighter has now weighed in on the situation, offering some valuable insights. Let’s hear what he has to say!

Josh Thomson believes Alex Pereira may have willingly posted his disappointment about the UFC 

Alex Pereira is currently one of the biggest stars in the UFC, if not the biggest, so every post he makes draws massive attention and sparks widespread discussion. His recent post on X, where he accused the UFC of disrespecting him, was no exception. Although Pereira later claimed the post was made by a hacker, the explanation hasn’t convinced everyone. Many fans and experts remain skeptical.

Ariel Helwani was one of the first to express doubt, and now former UFC fighter Josh Thomson has a message for the former light heavyweight champion to manage everything a little better. The Strikeforce champ on Weighing in podcast said: “I’ve had conversations with a lot of these fighters’ managers, everybody’s dispensable. No one’s safe these days. Conor [McGregor] is not safe, Alex is not safe; it doesn’t matter who you are. The sport is now officially bigger than any athlete. 

That’s definitely a valid point. The UFC has become almost synonymous with MMA itself, and Pereira is no exception when it comes to being part of that system. Josh Thomson also emphasized that Pereira needs to handle situations like this more carefully and maintain a better working relationship with the promotion.

He added, “If you’re a fighter…you do not have anywhere else that will make you the same amount of money. So either start minding your Ps and Qs, or start taking all the fights they want, they offer you. They’re not gonna be putting up with your guys’ s—t much.”

That’s also true. But when it comes to a champion like Alex Pereira, the validity of such claims likely requires a more extreme situation to truly grasp, something on the level of the Francis Ngannou dispute with the UFC. With that being said, do you think Pereira will return to face Ankalaev in August? Or will someone else step in? Comment your thoughts below.