Alex Pereira‘s time as UFC light heavyweight title ended at UFC 313, when he was defeated by Magomed Ankalaev via unanimous decision. ‘Poatan,’ known for his deadly power, failed to find his normal rhythm against Ankalaev’s measured offense. While many dismissed it as a difficult night at work, Joe Rogan made a bombshell statement that sent shockwaves across the MMA community. According to the UFC commentator, Alex Pereira entered the fight with serious hand injuries and a horrible sickness. This surely sparked immediate debate among fans, with some believing it explained Pereira’s performance and others dismissing it as a bogus excuse. But was Rogan speaking the truth? Well, ‘Poatan’ himself has finally provided the answer.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Alex Pereira verified that Rogan’s statements were correct. The Brazilian admitted that he suffered a hand injury and an illness prior to the fight, which made him question if he should even enter the Octagon. Despite these hurdles, he refused to let them define his performance or take away from Ankalaev’s victory. “I’m not trying to take anything away from Ankalaev; many people try to do that type of thing; I’m not this type of guy,” Pereira stated. “Everyone goes through their own problems; I’m sure he had his own problems too.”

Pereira claimed that the situation made the preparation tough, and he even considered withdrawing from the bout. However, in pure Pereira fashion, he eventually pushed forward, a choice he still stands by. “I don’t regret it because I’ve motivated a lot of people,” he said. “And anytime I’ve pushed through things, I was able to overcome. Many times it worked, but this time it wasn’t my moment. No regrets.” He also stated that, while his hand is fine now, he will provide more information when the time is right.

For the time being, he prefers to focus on the future rather than the past, underlining that he will never use difficulties as a crutch or to discredit his opponent’s win. This was Pereira’s first loss at light heavyweight, and it stopped his remarkable run as the fastest fighter to capture two UFC belts. But as we all know, it’s just a matter of time before he returns for another chance at the title. However, it is interesting to see that Alex Pereira does not want to discredit Magomed Ankalaev despite it being Joe Rogan who first shed light on the issue. On the other hand, the Russian’s team has made major allegations against the Brazilian.

Team Magomed Ankalaev accuses Alex Pereira of greasing

While Alex Pereira‘s refusal to make excuses for his UFC 313 loss has earned him respect from fans, the same cannot be said for Magomed Ankalaev’s team. In an unexpected turn of events, Ankalaev’s longtime coach, Sukhrab Magomedov, accused Pereira of using an illegal substance to make his body sticky, supposedly making it more difficult for Ankalaev to land takedowns. According to Magomedov, Ankalaev sensed something strange while clinching against the fence and even smelled what he assumed was ointment. The message was clear: Pereira had allegedly greased himself up to avoid grappling encounters.

However, it is worth noting that no official complaint or proof has been presented to back up this accusation, and Ankalaev has not personally confirmed these assertions either. Unsurprisingly, Pereira responded quickly to these charges. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, ‘Poatan’ laughed off the charges, saying, “Absolutely did not put anything on my body.” He pointed out that Ankalaev tried 12 takedowns and failed all of them, raising the question of whether the claim was only an attempt to hide a weak game plan. “The way his coach is saying it, it sounds like he’s just making excuses for training a guy to take me down and failing at it.”

Pereira further went on to mock the suggestion, saying, “Maybe we put oil on the mats too? Because that’s why Ankalaev slipped and fell on his back.” His remark made it clear that he regarded the entire story as ludicrous and unworthy of serious consideration. While greasing accusations are not uncommon in MMA—UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre notably faced similar allegations against BJ Penn. ‘Poatan’ has no prior history of such practices. His defensive grappling progress has been visible in several fights, and shutting down Magomed Ankalaev‘s wrestling further accelerated his development. If anything, the dispute heightens interest in a possible rematch, which Ankalaev has already agreed to. So, what do you think? Who will win the rematch? Let us know in the comments.