It hasn’t even been a week since Alex Pereira defeated Magomed Ankalaev in their UFC 320 rematch to reclaim his UFC light heavyweight title. However, ‘Poatan’ has made his intentions clear for his next move in the UFC. The 38-year-old respectfully called out former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones for a fight next year in June on the UFC White House card. But during the Ankalaev fight, Pereira broke his foot, sidelining him for a while.

“I did an X-ray in Las Vegas and an MRI here, and we have a fracture on my foot, but I still don’t know what will happen, or how long it will take for me to recover. I think it’s good to focus on this White House. It’s something that interests me. I think I’ll focus on this,” Pereira confirmed during a Q&A in Rio de Janeiro, per MMA Fighting. This means he might not be able to fight for the next few months. In the meantime, he has momentarily shifted his focus to something else.

Alex Pereira celebrates the inauguration of Poatan Institute

The 38-year-old recently shared a video on his YouTube channel announcing the inauguration of his Poatan Institute. “I’m very happy with the inauguration,” he said. The Poatan Institute is a social project in Bastitini, São Paulo, supporting over 600 kids through classes in jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, English, and computer skills — instilling discipline, focus, and opportunity.

“Today is a special day. A lot of people here. A lot of partners. The kids. We already had the Jiu-Jitsu class,” Pereira continued during the video. “For me, it’s something special. I was 7 or 8 years old. I always liked fighting. But we had a lot of access to capoeira. Me, and my brother – we came to the capoeira class because we couldn’t afford it. So we came to watch. But then we were alone there, learning by ourselves. Everything that happened in my life. The conditions I have today.”

While his focus is momentarily on this project, ‘Poatan’ still hopes to compete on the White House card. If the Jon Jones fight doesn’t materialize, he could face the winner of Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 later this month. However, Dana White and the UFC have yet to confirm any details, and the lineup is unlikely to be finalized this year. Regardless, Alex Pereira isn’t the only one who was injured. 

Magomed Ankalaev suffered a rib injury before the Pereira fight

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev was far from full strength heading into his rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 320. After the fight ended in just 80 seconds, Ankalaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, revealed that the Russian “should never have fought,” citing serious issues before the event.

Reports later confirmed that Ankalaev suffered a broken rib during training camp, which left him severely limited. A video also surfaced from journalist Léo Guimaraes, which showed the Russian undergoing medical treatment just 20 days before fight night. Despite spending weeks in Las Vegas preparing, Ankalaev could barely spar, with sessions ending early due to pain. 

From the looks of things, Alex Pereira could be sidelined from the UFC White House card if his foot doesn’t heal in time. In the meantime, he is celebrating the opening of his institute. What do you think is next for the Brazilian?