Alex Pereira lost his chance to eye for a third championship belt in the UFC. With ‘Poatan’ already being a two division champion, news came out that he could very well move up to the heavyweight realm. But all of that took a backseat when Pereira suffered a shock defeat against Magomed Ankalaev. Now, having lost the title, Pereira is looking to bounce back stronger. And analyzing the situation, his good friend Sean Strickland is confident about his triumph.
In a recent statement, ‘Tarzan’ opined that Pereira has a good chance of regaining everything he lost. While Strickland did acknowledge Ankalaev’s fighting skills, he stated that Pereira must come out with a fresh mind and adequate rest. Strickland also complained how the Brazilian needs to stop travelling so much in order to focus more on his fights.
“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
Now then, Strickland is not the one who has pointed out Pereira’s over-travelling as an issue. Meanwhile, as the speculations begin to take shape around Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev recently dropped a major news.
Alex Pereira Turned Down Title Fight: Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira has been trying to find a way back to the top of the light heavyweight realm. But for that to happen, he needs to take down the champion, Magomed Ankalaev. Surprisingly, when Pereira was offered a chance to do so, the Brazilian allegedly turned the offer down. In a recent statement, Ankalaev stated that Pereira was offered to fight at the International Fight Week. Unfortunately, ‘Poatan’ decided to bypass and take some more time.
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“I was offered to Fight Alex international fight week if the man don’t want it let’s move on I’m ready for everyone. I dare you,”said Ankalaev.
🚨 Magomed Ankalaev says he was offered the rematch against Alex Pereira for International Fight Week 👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 11, 2025
"I was offered to Fight Alex international fight week if the man don’t want it let’s move on I’m ready for everyone. I dare you."
(via. @AnkalaevM) #UFC #MMA #UFC317 pic.twitter.com/o6uAE8rskA
Thus, with a lot of permutations and combinations to play with, it remains to be seen how things pan out in the future.
Also Read: Magomed Ankalaev Expresses Frustration As Both Alex Pereira And Jiri Prochazka Turn Down Fights
