“We haven’t talked about it yet, but we know that it’s around October. It could be September, October, November. That date is perfect for me.” Alex Pereira doesn’t really want to back down from a rematch against Magomed Ankalaev. His defeat at UFC 313 was nothing short of a disappointing event for ‘Poatan’ fans. Despite landing 76 significant strikes to Ankalaev’s 94, the Brazilian couldn’t establish his rhythm, unable to plant his foot and land his signature left hook. The problem? Ankalaev’s relentless forward pressure, clinch control, and attempt to drag Pereira to the mat, even though he failed to land a single takedown in 12 tries.

Now, a chunk of the fighting community doesn’t believe that Pereira can overcome someone like Ankalaev. However, the Brazilian seems to have found inspiration in a perfect individual in his life, to push him through the current rut. That ‘perfect’ individual?—Israel Adesanya.

In a recent conversation with Caroline Pearce, ‘Poatan’ was asked about reclaiming the light heavyweight belt. She alluded to Pereira’s status as a two-division champion in both UFC and GLORY kickboxing, a trajectory few have matched. He captured LHW gold by finishing Jiří Procházka in just 13 seconds at UFC 303, his second light heavyweight title defense before UFC 313. But what about becoming a 2‑time light heavyweight champion, and what does it mean to become a two‑time champion for Pereira?

The São Paulo native answered, “I think it means a lot. This happens not only in the fight, but in other professions too. That people, sometimes there are people who get discouraged, who think can’t do it again.” And then he brought up ‘The Last Stylebender’. The former 2-time middleweight champion serves as the perfect example, he had an epic rivalry with the former 2-division champion, not turned friends.

He said, “But even taking Adesanya as an example, he went there, lost to me, but came back afterwards and managed to win the belt back. Taking him as an example and also showing people that when this happens, people can’t give up.”  Adesanya indeed rebounded from a fifth‑round TKO loss to Pereira at UFC 281 by unleashing a dramatic second‑round knockout at UFC 287—an instance frequently cited by peers and commentators as one of the most resilient comebacks in recent UFC history. 

While Pereira seems confident enough to claim a victory over the Russian light heavyweight champion, fight fans seem to have a completely different opinion. After Pearce shared a clip of the conversation on Instagram, the fighting community took over the comments section. Let’s see what they had to say. 

Alex Pereira fails to convince fight fans about his stance against Magomed Ankalaev in a rematch

Most fans reflected back on UFC 313 and pointed to Pereira not giving it his against the Dagestani light heavyweight champion. In the second round, Ankalaev dropped Pereira with a crisp left hand that visibly rocked him, and from Rounds 3–4, he consistently backed Pereira up into the fence—using knee strikes and upper-body control for nearly six minutes total—effectively neutralizing Pereira’s offense. But one fan in particular—while posting out that Pereira didn’t show up in form, also claimed that Ankalaev hadn’t won that fight: “You didn’t fight well but that didn’t give him the Victory this is my opinion🔥.” The comment reflected frustration from viewers who believed Pereira’s characteristic leg kicks (11 of 14 landed in the first round) and his late head‑kick in Round 5 were enough to warrant a different outcome.

A few others believed that Pereira doesn’t wish to fight Ankalaev. One comment read, “I have never ever in the history of the UFC ever seen a champ chase a contender this much. Pereira simply doesn’t want the fight. Pereira is hoping he never has to face Big Ank Hackaliev again and that somebody else beats Big Ank Hackaliev so that Pereira can fight that guy instead.” Back in Round 5, Pereira looked to flea from Ankalaev’s aggression—sparking heated Reddit debate, where one user pointed out he “looked hesitant” even when he tried to clinch or counter. 

On the other hand, many fans believe that there was no way for Pereira to beat Ankalaev. One user wrote, “Time to give Big Ank the respect he earned. Alex doesn’t have much of a chance to beat him.” Another fan added to the notion and commented, “He will never win Ankalaev🔥.” These comments emerged after observers saw Ankalaev land more “significant strikes”—94 to Pereira’s 76—and repeatedly stifle Pereira’s famed left hook by blocking with his lead hand while feinting takedowns. Meanwhile, one fan pointed out that the Brazilian is closing in on 40 years of age, and it’ll soon start reflecting on his performance. The comment read, “I dont think he can beat ankalaev, the guy is pushing 40.” Age talk isn’t idle chatter—by the fourth round, Pereira’s reactions slowed visibly, with commentators noting his attempts to plant his feet consistently were met with Ankalaev’s forceful fence control.

Nevertheless, the fans were seemingly happy with Pereira’s acknowledgment of Adesanya as an inspiration, despite their incredible past rivalry. One fan commented, “that is prestigiously and dignifyingly humble and cool of him to say.” Another fan joined in the praise and wrote, “Champions Mentality on full display 🔥.” These endorsements come after Pereira publicly emphasized his desire to make adjustments, specifically to his wrestling and footwork after UFC 313, with reporters noting these weren’t generic affirmations, but well-received as tactical readiness following his post-fight admission that his reliance on leg kicks “wasn’t enough”

Will Alex Pereira be able to win back the title from Magomed Ankalaev, and become a 2-time light heavyweight champion? It’s entirely possible, as Joe Rogan often says. The real question to ask here is: When will they fight? September, October, or November? Nothing has been announced yet, and there are no updates from Ankalaev either. Well, ‘Poatan’ better make his decision fast, considering that he isn’t getting any younger. If you have thoughts on this, drop down to the comments and let us know.