Alex Pereira is back in the saddle. Magomed Ankalaev tried his best, but he eventually succumbed to Poatan’s blazing offense. The UFC 320 headliner was over almost before it began. A big right hand from Pereira left Ankalaev stunned. Sensing blood, the Brazilian charged forward, unleashing a flurry of punches and elbows to finish the fight. Ankalaev’s light heavyweight run thus came to an abrupt end.

Fans and followers have gone ecstatic over Alex Pereira‘s emphatic victory. But amid the celebration, some concerns have also surfaced. While discussions swirled about Pereira’s next move, reports emerged that the new light heavyweight champion may have injured his toe. Right after the fight ended, Pereira was seen frequently tending to his foot. The extent of the injury became clearer when Dana White shared an update.

Victory at a price: Alex Pereira’s toe takes the hit

A clip of Pereira backstage, as he celebrated his triumph with bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, who defeated Cory Sandhagen in a five-round thriller, has gained considerable traction. It featured the Brazilian phenom wearing a boot that is normally worn to keep the injured or fractured toes firm.

“ALEX PEREIRA WAS INJURED IN THE ANKALEV FIGHT 🤯. He was spotted backstage wearing a boot after the fight. h/t @RedCorner_MMA,” the update read. Later, Aaron Bronsteter added, “White says that he believes Alex broke or dislocated his toe (or toes).”

For some fans, the moment rekindled memories of the buildup to UFC 300, where Pereira faced Jamahal Hill. Reportedly, during sparring sessions, Alex Pereira broke his toe. However, he didn’t withdraw from the fight and went on to defend his light heavyweight championship impressively with a first-round knockout win.

While his latest injury may raise concerns given the upcoming schedule, the sweet satisfaction of defeating Magomed Ankalaev so decisively might allow him, and perhaps his fans, to overlook it for now.

Countdown to the next confrontation

In his post-fight interview, Pereira looked back at his UFC 313 bout with Ankalaev, where he lost the title he won in November 2023. “I told everyone I was not in a good condition last time. Nobody believed it. You saw it,” he said.

Reports suggest that Pereira was battling a broken hand and suffering from norovirus ahead of that unanimous-decision loss to Ankalaev in March.

Speaking about his latest win, Pereira said the outcome didn’t surprise him at all. “I saw that in the first fight. I don’t like to make excuses, but I’ve been saying I wasn’t well that night—but tonight, I’m very well,” Pereira stated.

Fans will now have to wait for an update on his injury. As the new champion, he may soon have to fend off fresh challenges for his title. The most likely contender appears to be Carlos Ulberg. The New Zealander recently climbed to third place in the light heavyweight rankings after his first-round win over former title contender Dominick Reyes.

Ulberg was spotted ringside during Pereira’s fight, fueling speculation of a potential matchup between the two. Considering Ulberg’s stellar record and his reputation for punishing opponents, Alex Pereira will need to recover quickly to begin preparing for his next test.

Who would you want Alex Pereira to fight next?