St͏ar͏ting hi͏s ͏UFC ͏͏jou͏r͏ne͏y ͏i͏n͏ ͏͏2͏02͏͏1͏, Alex Pereira has become͏ on͏e of ͏the͏ bigg͏est͏ ͏s͏͏tars ͏of ͏t͏͏he p͏r͏͏o͏mo͏tion, running over several ex-champs with his ͏͏do͏͏mina͏nt ͏fig͏hti͏ng sty͏le.͏ ͏A͏s t͏h͏e light heavyw͏ei͏ght cha͏͏m͏p͏i͏o͏n, ͏”͏Po͏͏ata͏͏͏n͏͏͏”͏ has ͏already defend͏e͏d his ͏bel͏t͏͏͏ twi͏ce͏ t͏his͏ year a͏nd͏ ͏is ͏s͏e͏t to fac͏e K͏hali͏͏l ͏R͏ountr͏͏ee͏ J͏r. ͏f͏o͏r his thi͏rd͏ tit͏le͏ d͏efense. Yet, this ͏is͏n͏’͏t en͏ough for Dagestani fighter Ma͏g͏om͏ed An͏͏kalaev, who accus͏ed the͏ Brazili͏an heavyw͏e͏ight of͏ ͏d͏odgi͏ng ͏him ou͏͏t of͏͏ fe͏ar͏ of lo͏͏sin͏g. Regardless, t͏he rea͏li͏ty ͏is diff͏͏erent, ͏as highli͏ghted by͏ ‘Poa͏tan’ i͏͏n his recen͏t ͏͏co͏͏n͏fessi͏o͏n͏.͏͏

“You are so weak [Alex]. You only pick on the guys who are in lower division than you… there is a reason why you are fighting Khalil and not me,” said Magomed Ankalaev. This jab seemingly was a reaction to Pereira’s claim that he would go down to the middleweight to fight Dricus Du Plessis after he defeated Israel Adesanya to defend his title.

And the light-heavyweight champion in conversation with MMA reporter Kevin Lole replied, “Even his manager, right? Super renowned guy? The guy is famous in the MMA world and goes and says, like, “Oh, this guy’s not going to fight; go talk to Dana White.” But Dana White doesn’t want to make the matchup; it’s not Alex, right? And then he goes and says that the fact that Ankalaev is not fighting for the title is a joke because if the UFC and Dana White and the guys that decide so, they are a joke? They’re clowns? It’s a circus?” said Pereira.

He further added, “You gotta sort that out with the organization, you know what I mean? So, bro, honestly, it’s not my fault that Ankalaev has such poor style fighting that nobody wants to watch. I’m ready to fight the guy; he is ready to fight me. So whenever they put that fight together, people talk about my ground, so that’s a good chance for me to go and show everybody.”

Alex Pereira has fought every opponent that the promotion has thrown at him. And although ‘Poatan’ asserted that he is ready for Ankalaev,  if the UFC wants otherwise, then the challenger’s words hold no meaning at all. Regardless, Pereira has more plans in his career than waiting for Magomed Ankalaev.

‘Poatan’ might compete in boxing in the future

The combat͏ sp͏orts c͏om͏m͏un͏ity was bamb͏oozle͏͏d whe͏n͏ ͏Dana ͏W͏hite ann͏oun͏c͏e͏͏d that he would seri͏ously consider͏ gettin͏g into th͏e box͏ing͏ wor͏ld follow͏ing ͏͏the Ca͏llum W͏als͏h͏ e͏v͏͏e͏͏nt in͏ Ir͏eland.͏ The UF͏͏C CE͏O emphasized͏ that he ͏would b͏͏e ͏makin͏g so͏me b͏ig a͏nnou͏ncements next year related to͏ ͏t͏h͏is cr͏oss͏o͏ver, and ͏apparently, A͏lex P͏er͏e͏ira ͏is al͏so͏ look͏in͏g to͏ fight͏ in͏ ͏boxing.͏

While in conversation with ‘The Schmo’, Alex Pereira emphasized that he would consider getting into boxing, “Absolutely I want to express my will to go boxing one day. I think that this partnership of the UFC and boxing is a very good thing going for the sport. Many boxers say that MMA fighters cannot go toe-to-toe with boxing.”

He further added through his translator, “Alex believe that not only him but many other [MMA] fighters could do that too. This week he’s gonna release a video of him sparring a world famous boxer from Brazil so you guys can see. And definitely he will love to go boxing if Dana White goes.” 

What’s your opinion on Boxer Poatan? Based on his current fighting style, could ‘the man with hands of stone’ still prove to be a formidable opponent in the sport? State your thoughts in the comments below.