There’s been a buzz among UFC fans after Daniel Cormier accused Alex Pereira of fabricating his hacking incident and suggested that ‘Poatan’ might have rejected a potential fight with Magomed Ankalaev for International Fight Week (IFW). Cormier even claimed Pereira threw a tantrum when the UFC hinted at giving someone else the opportunity. While it’s unclear whether this story holds any truth, a recent statement from the light-heavyweight champion himself could soon shed light on this mystery.
Before gazing upon what Magomed Ankalaev has to say, let us have a look at what Daniel Cormier had said about the hacking incident that rocked the combat sports world. In his conversation with Chael Sonnen on Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier stated that he doesn’t believe Alex Pereira’s claim that his X account was hacked. ‘DC’ did not mince words when he said, “Pereira is a liar.”
He further added, “Pereira did not get hacked [on Wednesday]. Pereira might’ve tweeted something, and then somebody called him and was like, ‘Yo, calm down. Let’s chill.” According to Cormier, since Hunter Campbell is currently in Dagestan with Islam Makhachev and Rizvan Magomedov, who manages both Makhachev and Magomed Ankalaev, Campbell likely attempted to book a fight between Ankalaev and Alex Pereira. Ankalaev reportedly agreed, but Pereira declined. The drama unfolded when the UFC allegedly threatened to give the title shot to someone else.
Cormier stated that these are just his opinions based on his understanding of the fight business. Now, let’s come back to Magomed Ankalaev. Well, it appears that Cormier’s assessment was right, as the UFC did offer Alex Pereira a title fight he appeared to have rejected.
Taking his X handle, the Dagestani revealed, “I was offered to fight at Alex International Fight Week. If the man doesn’t want it, let’s move on. I’m ready for everyone. I dare you.” So, Daniel Cormier was right all along — did Alex Pereira lie about his X getting hacked?
While we can’t be certain, one thing is clear: Pereira seems to have declined the offer to fight at UFC 317. How did the MMA world react to Ankalaev’s revelation? Surprisingly, they’ve come out in support of the former champion.
Has Alex Pereira earned the right to decline fights?
In an era of inactive champions, Alex Pereira stood out by delivering banger after banger, particularly saving the promotion from disaster last year. In 2024, ‘Poatan’ defended his title three times — against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, and Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307. ‘Poatan’ fought 4 times inside 12 months since his title win at UFC 295. He was in four title fights between April 2024 and March 2025. He truly carried the promotion during a critical time, and many fans believe Pereira has earned the right to take time off following his recent defeat to Magomed Ankalaev, “If there’s ONE man at the roster who deserve to pick a date, that’s Alex.”
So, if not Alex Pereira, then who should fight Magomed Ankalaev at International Fight Week? Fans believe it might be Jiri Prochazka: “Even as a thought who else would he fight? Jiri I guess?” After winning the title, Magomed Ankalaev lashed out at Jiri Prochazka. He took to his X handle to call out the former champion, “I think you are a fraud and so many guys deserve it more than you you need to go win some fights.” And in response to these comments, Prochazka at the Ariel Helwani show attacked Ankalaev for being cheeky, “I like all the people except him. He is too much, [especially] his last tweet on me.” Furthermore, another fan ascertained that Jiri Prochazka might be available for a fight on that exact date, “I’m sure Jiri would take the fight for that date.”
After the loss, Alex Pereira revealed that he fought the Dagestani with a broken hand and norovirus. So, a fan stated, “Alex should take more time off.” Furthermore, a social media user wanted to see new faces in the title picture: “Whoever the opponent is, as long as it’s not Jiri and Jamahal it’s ok. We need new faces tbh.”
Last but not least, a social media user lashed out at Dana White for asking Alex Pereira to take a fight on such short notice, “why are they offering alex that date coming off a broken hand and after so many short notice fights he deserves a full camp bro?”
Alex Pereira is not the type of avoid a fight, but his age and activity might not agree all the time anymore. So, should the UFC look at a later date for his return? IWhat are your thoughts on the Dagestani’s post on X? Share your opinion in the comments below.
The post Calls Mount Against Dana White’s UFC to Save Alex Pereira as Magomed Ankalaev Exposes IFW Fight News appeared first on EssentiallySports.
