UFC 313, held inside the T-Mobile Arena, became the night Alex Pereira lost the Light Heavyweight belt, despite delivering career-best performances in his three title defenses. The defeat was undoubtedly monumental, but a rematch has always remained an option for ‘Poatan,’ given his status as one of the most active and entertaining fighters in the sport. Both fighters have verbally agreed to meet in August, but the current champ, Magomed Ankalaev, has been itching for a scrap.
Ankalaev revealed that he was contacted by the UFC for a potential rematch with Pereira at UFC 317. However, things took a turn after the former two-division champion’s Twitter fiasco, where he appeared to criticize the UFC for not respecting him, only to later backtrack and claim his account had been hacked. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka reportedly turned down a short-notice title fight, opting instead to focus on his university education, as revealed by his manager. With no one seemingly ready to step up against ‘Big Ank,’ the champion expressed his disappointment in a tweet.
‘Big Ank’ posted on X: “Guys, is there anyone in the Light Heavyweight division who’s willing to fight me? Because Jiri and Alex do not want to fight,” basically taking a jab at both Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka for turning down a fight against him. But that’s not all, his tweet also served as a direct challenge to every other light heavyweight contender. The champ was implying that no one in the division is currently on his level.
However, the tweet quickly caught the attention of former champion Jan Błachowicz, who has unfinished business with the current titleholder. He replied to Ankalaev’s post, writing, “I’m always happy to settle our score, Magomed.” For the unversed, ‘the Polish Power’ was referring to their last championship bout at UFC 282, which ended in a draw after five rounds of a measured, cautious approach from both fighters.
I’m always happy to settle our score, Magomed. https://t.co/euFYRkJGSa
— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) May 16, 2025
Jan Błachowicz battled through numerous injuries and setbacks to make his return to the cage after his razor-thin decision loss to former champ Alex Pereira at UFC 291. However, he couldn’t get past Carlos Ulberg at UFC Fight Night London, a defeat that pushed him a few steps back in the rankings and likely distanced him from immediate title contention. So, it’s hard to say whether his call-out will come to fruition, especially with a potential Jiri vs. Pereira rematch and Carlos Ulberg climbing the ranks.
But this is MMA, a game of uncertainty, timing, and opportunity. And if the stars align, The Polish Power might still find his way back into the title picture. That was definitely a nice callout! But no one is beating the current light heavyweight champion in terms of social media posts, as he’s not letting Alex Pereira take a much-needed breather.
Magomed Ankalaev calls out Alex Pereira to fight in Abu Dhabi
The UFC has made it a tradition to host one of its flagship events in Abu Dhabi each year. Last year, the promotion brought the highly anticipated UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway card to Fight Island, drawing major global attention. So, the current champion, Magomed Ankalaev, also offered Alex Pereira to fight at the Fight Island, which generally takes place in October.
Ankalaev took to X once again, his favorite social media platform, and wrote: “I hope CHAMA will show up in Abu Dhabi, don’t be scared homie.” If Pereira and his team are keeping an eye on the champ’s tweets, it’s safe to say those words might sting a little. While there’s been little to no response from Poatan’s side, he’s known for being a stoic competitor, one who prefers to answer when it matters most.
Magomed Ankalaev is well aware that a showdown with Pereira in Abu Dhabi would attract massive viewership. Plus, fighting on Fight Island would likely come with strong support for the current champ, making it an ideal stage for a high-stakes title bout. Also, it would be interesting to see how Perreira would respond to a crowd that’s most likely to root against him.
With that being said, what do you think about the whole light heavyweight title scenario? Are we really going to see Pereira vs. Ankalaev, or is someone else going to come in and take the cake? Please let us know your thoughts!
The post Alex Pereira Put on Alert as Ex-UFC Champ Answers Magomed Ankalaev’s Call to ‘Settle Score’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
