What is it about two people beating each other up that suddenly makes them besties? Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev went from bitter rivals to a surprising show of mutual respect after UFC 313. Funny how that works, right? Months of accusations, mind games, and a battle for light heavyweight supremacy. All settled inside the Octagon. Well, mostly. Because while ‘Poatan’ and Ankalaev seemingly found peace, not everyone was ready to let things go. And wouldn’t you know it? The biggest sore loser wasn’t even one of the fighters.

Pereira, for his part, handled the loss like a champ. No excuses, no whining. Just straight-up accountability. “My hand is fine, but it did affect a lot of things. I don’t wanna use this as a leverage for anything. This was one of the more complicated fight camps that has ever happened,” Pereira admitted on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I do not regret fighting. Like I said, I’ve conquered a lot.” Even the Dagestani took the high road. Well, sort of. When Jiri Prochazka, who had been running his mouth about ‘Poatan’ for a while, tried cozying up to him, Ankalaev shut it down with a fraud check. But guess who just couldn’t let it go? Ankalaev’s camp. Instead of basking in their fighter’s hard-earned victory, they went digging for excuses as to why Ankalev couldn’t take down Pereira. And surprise, surprise, they landed on the classic MMA go-to. Greasing.

Pereira, never one to let nonsense slide, fired back immediately. “I absolutely did not put anything on my body,” he told Helwani. “It sounds to me like the coach is making an excuse for the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but all 12 of his attempts got stuffed.” Talk about a verbal knockout. But, according to Ankalaev’s coach, Sukhrab Magomedov, something didn’t add up.

“When Magomed pushed him to the fence near our corner, it seemed to me that Pereira was greased with something,” Magomedov claimed while speaking to Ushatayka. Oh, but it gets better. Apparently, Ankalaev himself told his coach that Pereira smelled like some sort of ointment and that his sweat ‘gelled up’ instead of dripping. Put that one side, the bigger question is – did UFC 313 somehow change how Pereira sees his own future?

Is Alex Pereira deciding to play to his strength?

Despite the post-fight drama, both Alex Pereira and Ankalaev seem open to running it back. Dana White has already teased a potential rematch. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to see them go at it again? The now champ, however, isn’t in a rush. He’s eyeing a return later this year, possibly when the UFC heads back to Abu Dhabi. Get ready for months of trash talk, social media jabs, and Pereira fine-tuning his already lethal striking for round two.

But Pereira may have bigger fish to fry. Before UFC 313, he had his sights set beyond light heavyweight. If he had won, he planned to call out Oleksandr Usyk for a boxing superfight. Yes, you read that right. Pereira vs. Usyk in a boxing ring. UFC boss Dana White, though? He shut that down fast. “No, never,” White said when asked about Pereira stepping into the squared circle.

But hold up. Didn’t Mr. White just announce his own boxing promotion? The irony is too good. Maybe ‘Poatan’, fresh off UFC 313, is realizing just how sharp his striking is. Maybe he’s thinking about cashing in on his stand-up skills while he’s still in his prime. With White now dabbling in boxing, could an opportunity open up down the road? So, what’s next for Alex Pereira? Another shot at Ankalaev? A move to heavyweight? A forbidden boxing dream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.