When fans began watching UFC 313, they had no doubts that Alex Pereira would win by the end of the night. However, nobody expected what happened next. Magomed Ankalaev did the impossible by defeating ‘Poatan’ to become the new light heavyweight champion. Following Pereira’s heartbreaking loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, many anticipated him to be locked in and determined to restore his title. Given his warrior mindset, many expected the Brazilian to start planning his comeback right away. Instead of a fiery statement of revenge or a deep dive into training, Pereira and his mentor, Glover Teixeira, had quite an interesting first reaction.

Shortly after the fight, Teixeira posted a video on the official page of his training gym, which surprised fans. Instead of seeming distraught after losing his belt, Alex Pereira was spotted dancing with his squad, smiling and grooving smoothly. In the caption of the video, Texeira explained the motive behind the fun moment, “Didn’t get the W last night, but we still got some moves 🕺🏼🕺🏼🕺🏼. Always staying positive even in times of adversity. We’ll be back 👊🏼.” For a fighter who had just lost one of his most crucial fights, ‘Poatan’ proved again how he is the textbook definition of a stoic.

The loss to Ankalaev was disappointing, but the Brazilian didn’t appear shaken by the result. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, ‘Poatan’ expressed little frustration, simply stating, “I knew it would be a war. Every fight of mine is a war.” He acknowledged Magomed Ankalaev’s strategy but did not appear sure that the Russian had done enough to claim his title. When questioned about a rematch, Pereira said, “I’m going to take a few days off and get back to training.  This is my life.”

Well, through his quotes, many expected his next step to be a laser-focused journey to recapture the title. So, his casual demeanor and cheerful mood have surely generated more questions than answers. But one thing is for certain: the future surely will remain exciting for the Brazilian knockout artist. But, what could be a possible plan of action for ‘Poatan’?

Well, the fight has drained him a lot, mentally and physically. Pereira doesn’t drink or party hard in the tipsy sense. However, connecting to his roots could freshen him up for the season ahead. ‘Poatan’ should spend some time with his teammates and then head to Bahia, the native place to his tribe, the Pataxó. With a detox from media and fighting, Alex Pereira could find solitude. The calm mind will surely give him an edge in the future.

In fact, even Tom Aspinall has dropped some predictions on Alex Pereira‘s future. So, what did the interim heavyweight champion say? Let’s find out!

Tom Aspinall picks future fights for Alex Pereira

Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall believes Alex Pereira’s path forward is clear following his UFC 313 loss to Magomed Ankalaev. With Pereira’s spectacular light heavyweight title reign ending on the scorecards, many wondered about his next step—whether it would be a rematch, a return to middleweight, or possibly the long-rumored transition to heavyweight. While Ankalaev has previously dismissed the idea of moving up in weight, the Briton watched the fight and immediately defined what he believes should be next for ‘Poatan.’

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Tom Aspinall made it obvious that ‘Poatan’ should face Magomed Ankalaev again right away. He agreed that the fight was competitive, and while most people scored it in Ankalaev’s favor, there were some close rounds. “Alex Pereira’s run as a champion is done for now. In my opinion, an immediate rematch should be there next,” Aspinall said. “He’s a massive, massive, massive star in MMA. He lost the title, but his run warrants another shot. That being said, I think Ankalaev has his number—it could play out the same way again. But I want to see it again.”

Head honcho Dana White also seemed to be in favor of the idea of a rematch during his post-fight press conference. Pereira’s loss also has an impact on the heavyweight division, since it effectively ends any speculation that he may challenge Jon Jones. While some expected a high-profile fight between Pereira and the UFC heavyweight champion, Dana White said following UFC 313 that the UFC is focusing on finalizing the long-awaited title unification contest between Jones and Aspinall. While Pereira remains a fan favorite, the goal now appears to be settling business in the heavyweight category, making Aspinall’s next bout more obvious than ever. What do you think? Will Pereira go for an instant rematch? Let us know in the comments.