Alex Pereira is not going anywhere. After days of inactivity, the former light heavyweight champion has finally broken his silence on his future in the UFC. And much to the elation of his fans, ‘Poatan’ is coming back soon.
Since he lost his title, Pereira has not announced when he will fight next. Magomed Ankalaev has also teased him constantly about leaving the UFC. But now, as the Brazilian breaks his silence, there is good news.
In a recent update, Pereira stated that he deliberately took time off from fighting. The former champion also pointed out that with back-to-back fights the previous year, his body needed time to heal and recover. And now that he’s back, Pereira vows to be coming for his belt. While he did not drop a specific date or an opponent he wanted to fight, ‘Poatan’ promised that the fight news was coming soon.
“We’ll definitely be talking about my next fight soon. I don’t have a specific date yet, but we already have an idea… I’m coming back firm and strong, to get my belt back,” said Pereira.
Alex Pereira says he took some time off to recover, but will be back soon 👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 4, 2025
"We'll definitely be talking about my next fight soon. I don't have a specific date yet, but we already have an idea…
I'm coming back firm and strong, to get my belt back."
🎥 @UFCBrasil #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/AnZKgkAShk
The sudden rumors about Pereira possibly not wanting to fight anymore stemmed from his reluctance to fight Ankalaev. It was confirmed that the Brazilian was offered a fight opportunity at International Fight Week. Unfortunately, Pereira did not seem interested and turned down the offer. Meanwhile, Pereira’s good friend Sean Strickland expressed his confidence about him getting back his title.
Sean Strickland Oozes Confidence About Alex Pereira’s Comeback
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Strickland and Alex Pereira share a close bond of friendship. While rumors of Pereira not wanting to fight anymore swirled, Strickland was confident. Talking about ‘Poatan,’ Strickland recently opined that he believed Pereira would return soon. ‘Tarzan’ was also optimistic about Pereira regaining his belt from Ankalaev in their rematch.
“I think Alex has a great chance of beating him in the rematch. So I think Alex, if he just takes a step back, clears his brain, comes in fresh. You know, stop traveling all over the fu**ing world. I think you’re gonna have a, he has a legitimate shot of beating you,” said Strickland.
“He has a legitimate shot of beating him.”
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 26, 2025
Sean @SStricklandMMA breaks down the anticipated rematch between UFC light heavyweight champ Magomed @AnkalaevM and @AlexPereiraUFC . pic.twitter.com/cplE8sKqVG
Thus, with things looking a bit rosy for Alex Pereira, it now remains to be seen how things pan out in the future.
Also Read: Magomed Ankalaev Predicts A Surprising Future Ahead For Alex Pereira
