“I’m going to make some adjustments for the rematch, and I’ll be back much better, you can count on it. Never give up on your dreams. Chama,” a heartbroken Alex Pereira said after losing his title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. The Brazilian stepped into the cage, brimming with the same confidence that carried him to the top last year, convinced that his reign was far from over. But the Dagestani brought something different—something brutal. With a crushing display of power, he outstruck the champion and made ‘Poatan’ work for five rounds. And just like that, Pereira’s reign was no more. However, the loss only seems to have fueled ‘Poatan.’ He demanded a rematch, and Ankalaev did agree to it, but there’s more to the story.

If we take a stroll down memory lane, it seemed like Alex Pereira was not himself in his fight against Magomed Ankalaev. Rather than stand his ground and land his signature shots, ‘Poatan’ found himself backing up and staving off wrestling attempts by the current champion. Interestingly, he was even outstruck by Ankalaev. So, what’s the issue? Was Alex Pereira injured? Well, in his conversation with the media, the former light-heavyweight champion emphasized that he fought with “Norovirus and a broken hand.”

Excuses? Well, fighters often resort to them after losing a battle, but no one expected such a defense from Alex Pereira, and certainly, Ankalaev did not anticipate it either. The undisputed light-heavyweight champion agreed to give ‘Poatan’ another chance to fight for the title. However, Ankalaev thinks Pereira isn’t keen on fighting him again,“I have a feeling you don’t want the rematch after I agreed to August.”

Shocking? Well, it was Alex Pereira who requested a rematch, and even UFC CEO Dana White agreed. “Probably [an immediate rematch],” said Dana White when asked if ‘Poatan’ deserves one. The former light-heavyweight champion has yet to respond to Ankalaev’s words, but one thing is certain: if this fight doesn’t take place, then it will be a huge disappointment for the MMA community as well as the UFC CEO.

Alex Pereira, in his recent confession to Ariel Helwani, emphasized that he was looking to pull out of his clash against Ankalaev at UFC 313 due to bad health, but he didn’t.“I don’t [regret fighting]. I’ve conquered everything I have and have motivated many people, and I tried something that was hard for me. I’ve done similar things before with difficulties of injuries and things like that and it has worked before, and this time it didn’t, but I don’t regret it.”

So, did the fighter go back home and watch his tape again? Well, according to ‘Poatan,’ he did. He reviewed his UFC 313 performance and scored the fight 48-47 in his favor. Now, he’s calling for a rematch. However, is an immediate rematch a good option? Well, former UFC veteran and Hofer believes that Pereira should take his next steps with caution.

UFC legend warns Alex Pereira of a rematch with Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira became one of the most active champions in recent times when he defended his light-heavyweight title thrice last year, defeating Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree Jr. However, this back-to-back adventure against the top talents of the division backfired against him when he came face-to-face against Magomed Ankalaev. Facing a crushing defeat at the hands of the Dagestani, Pereira demanded a rematch, which the undisputed champion agreed to, but Chael Sonnen believes that Pereira should take a step back and assess the situation.

In a conversation with Submission Radio, ‘The American Gangster’ emphasized that he loves Alex Pereira as a fighter, but he believes that taking the immediate rematch is a mistake: “I’m a very big Alex Pereira fan, on a personal level but also his work inside the cage. I gotta tell you, there is nothing within that first fight, whether illness, injury, or a combination of both, there was nothing about that first fight that would lead a reasonable analyst to believe you’re going to have a different outcome in the second fight.”

He further added, “That first fight was four to one. It was four rounds to one. It really was not overly competitive. There were some [good] things done by Pereira, such as stopping the takedowns. We didn’t know he had this ability. It was a pretty slow pace and there wasn’t a lot done. I’m just suggesting there was nothing we saw, even at a slow pace, even at a drawn down action-packed night or lack thereof, there’s nothing to believe that rounds six, seven, eight, nine, and 10 are going to be any different.”

Chael Sonnen believes that Alex Perera should introspect on his last fight and understand where he fell short, strategize, and then come back for a rematch. Well, ‘The American Gangster’ does have some real good insights on Pereira’s initial fight. However, will the Brazilian agree with him? Only time will tell.