At UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev did the unthinkable—he dethroned Alex Pereira at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, snatching away the light heavyweight crown. ‘Poatan’ entered the octagon riding a wave of knockout victories, having flattened Jiri Prochazka twice, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree in brutal succession. Confident as ever, Pereira seemed poised for another highlight-reel finish. But the Dagestani had other plans. Despite Pereira’s relentless pressure, Ankalaev shockingly out-struck the feared knockout artist, leaving fans stunned and asking, “How is this happening?” The answer? Precision, patience, and a rock-solid game plan. Now, with a rematch looming, former middleweight champ Sean Strickland has stepped in to back Pereira, insisting the Brazilian will reclaim what’s his.

While conversing, Sean Strickland shared his honest opinion on Pereira’s chances of becoming champion again. Speaking to the public, Strickland acknowledged that Magomed Ankalaev is a solid fighter, but stated that his accomplishments don’t compare to Alex Pereira’s achievements. “Ankalaev is just so f—–g good. I think a couple of things—I think Alex has a great chance of beating him in a rematch. I think Alex goes too hard; I mean, how many title defenses does he have? Like, going up and down the weight classes, while Ankalaev rides the bench for a certain amount of time. Being that active and being that much of a superstar.”

He further added, “Like, no one knows f—-g Ankalaev. Ankalaev walks down the street, no one knows who the f–k that guy is. Alex is a superstar. He can’t leave his house without someone saying, “Oh s–t, there’s Alex. Should we take a picture?” It kind of takes a toll on the mind. Then you take Ankalaev, who just lives in a f—–g cave somewhere—I don’t know where the f–k that guy’s from, but you know, like, he probably lives in a f—–g cave somewhere. I think Alex, if he takes a step back, clears his mind, comes in fresh, stops f—–g travelling all around the world—I think he has a legitimate chance of beating him.”

After UFC 313, Alex Pereira revealed that he had been fighting with a broken hand and was also suffering from norovirus, which explained the lack of his usual striking output. Fair enough—Dana White and Magomed Ankalaev agreed to give him a rematch. However, ‘Poatan’ is in no mood to compete right now. Why? The fighter wants to take some time off from a career that has been moving at an incredibly fast pace. Last year alone, Pereira defended his title three times, making him not only one of the most active champions but also the record-breaker for the shortest time span between three successful title defenses. A record once held by UFC’s own, Ronda Rousey.

Well, Alex Pereira doesn’t seem interested in fighting Ankalaev—at least for now. In fact, he’s facing allegations of ducking from Ankalaev’s fan base. This escalated after the LHW champ took to his X handle to call him out, saying, “I was offered to fight Alex during International Fight Week. If the man doesn’t want it, let’s move on. I’m ready for everyone. I dare you.” So, is it true that the fighter is ducking Ankalaev? Let us have a look at what Uncle Chael has to say.

Chael Sonnen reveals Alex Pereira’s true intentions in the ducking allegations

Uncle Chael is known for his unfiltered takes and cutting truths, and lately, he’s been speculating on whether Alex Pereira is actually ducking Ankalaev: “Does Alex Pereira want the world title? Does he want the rematch? Does he want Big Ank?” Sonnen asked, before delivering the bombshell.

According to Sonnen, Alex Pereira is being mysterious, as there’s no clear statement he can point to and say, ‘Yes, Pereira is ducking Ankalaev.’ Sonnen further added, “He does not think the judges got it right that night. He does want to stay at 205 pounds. He does want that belt back—there’s nothing that says that.”

Since the hacking incident where Alex Pereira claimed his account was compromised, and the hacker posted a statement suggesting he was leaving the UFC, things have become increasingly difficult for Pereira. Many fans are starting to believe that something actually happened when Hunter Campbell visited Dagestan.

What exactly? Well, according to Daniel Cormier: “My thought is, while Hunter was there to meet Islam, guess who else Rizvan Magomedov manages? He also manages Ankalaev,” Cormier said. “So while he’s talking to Islam about the fight, he might have said, ‘What about you, Ankalaev? Are you available?’ Then he turns to Pereira and says, ‘Are you ready?’ And Pereira responds, ‘Well, it’s short notice.’ So Hunter says, ‘OK, then we’ll give it to someone else.’”

Well, amidst these chaotic times, what are your inputs on what might have happened? State your opinion in the comments below.