“He’s also promoting a little if he says my name because no one knows he’s the champion,” declared former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira today in an interview with UFC Brasil. The Brazilian addressed the ongoing back-and-forth with his rival Magomed Ankalaev, who has frequently taken verbal shots at him. The Russian star has accused Pereira of avoiding a rematch and even suggested that the former champ is “done” and may have retired from the Octagon.

But today, ‘Poatan’ put an end to all the speculation with a clear and direct response. Why has Alex Pereira, once the dominant force in the division, chosen to step away for a while? Since March’s UFC 313, where Magomed Ankalaev ended the Brazilian’s 1.5-year reign as light heavyweight champion in a disappointing fashion, Pereira has opted to take a break. After several consecutive fights last year, he’s now focusing on recovery.

Along with shutting down Ankalaev’s claims, Alex Pereira shared his expected comeback timeline during the UFC Brasil interview, “We haven’t talked about it yet but we know that it’s around October. It could be September, October, November,” confirmed the Brazilian. Meanwhile, Magomed Ankalaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, sees this timeline as a strategic delay favoring his fighter.

Speaking on Submission Radio, Abdelaziz recounted his discussion with Alex Pereira’s coach Plinio Cruz, who also confirmed Pereira’s “October-November” return window. While Abdelaziz supports thw Brazilian’s need for rest, he believes the postponement ultimately benefits Ankalaev. On the subject, Abdelaziz said,

“But I also believe the more time you give Ankalaev to get ready for him, it’s going to be more of a problem for him. That is my opinion. I think this fight will not go five rounds. There’s no way. There’s no way in hell this fight goes five rounds. No way.”

Since his last fight in the Octagon, Alex Pereira has been on a focused journey, traveling from Japan to Germany. He’s experienced a lot and shared his insights globally, steadily building his legacy. ‘Poatan’ is following in the footsteps of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who is currently on his own mission—delaying a fight with Tom Aspinall while attending to other commitments in Thailand before pursuing title unification.

Additionally, there are rumors that Pereira and Jones have been training together, helping each other gain an edge over their upcoming opponents.

Magomed Ankalaev’s coach warns Alex Pereira

More than three months have passed since Magomed Ankalaev became the third Dagestani UFC champion, yet questions still linger about his first title defense. The Russian champ was eager to fight at UFC 317 during International Fight Week, but Alex Pereira seemed reluctant to risk his reputation so soon. Meanwhile, Dana White recently announced four UFC pay-per-view events scheduled through August.

There will be no UFC PPV in September, as Dana White focuses on promoting the Canelo Alvarez vs. Gervonta Crawford bout, making October the earliest likely date for Magomed Ankalaev’s defense. Addressing the delay, Ankalaev’s manager shared his frustration,

“Alex is at every event. He’s on vacations, he’s doing this – I don’t know if he’s really going to fight me or he’s just having fun. … I’m killing myself in the gym. I don’t know when I’m fighting him. I’m the champion, I feel like I’m the challenger. I said if he’s not ready, let me get him some of these other guys,” Abdelaziz said. “I think Alex Pereira earned it, and I think he deserves it. If we have to wait, it’s OK. … (but a) hundred percent — if it’s not Abu Dhabi, he will fight someone else, for sure.”

Now that the ball is in Dana White & Co.’s court, when can we expect the official announcement for Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev 2.0? With many critics questioning the rematch, do you think this fight truly deserves to happen? Share your thoughts below.