Earning $9.5M but Getting Injured, Alex Pereira Drops Truth Bomb on UFC Retirement After Magomed Ankalaev Claims

A few days ago, in a post on X, Magomed Ankalaev wrote, “Alex done, he’s never coming back.” After defeating Alex Pereira via unanimous decision and ripping away the light heavyweight crown at UFC 313, many in the MMA sphere had expected a rematch to follow. But according to the champion’s post, he accepted “June, July, August” as possible dates. But the silence from ‘Poatan’? It continued.

Another twist in the tale? Pereira had put up a cryptic message on X about the UFC ‘playing’ with him and “not fighting anymore”, but later claimed that his account was hacked. Well, now the Brazilian knockout artist has finally opened up about his plans, and it looks like he’s preparing for revenge!

Alex Pereira blasts Magomed Ankalaev’s claims about him “never coming back” with a bold announcement

In a recent clip shared on X by ‘Championship Rounds’, Alex Pereira began by stating, “We’ll definitely be talking about my next fight soon. I don’t have a specific date yet, but we already have an idea. I took some time off to rest, because I worked so hard in 2024.”

No bravado, no cryptic tweets. Just honesty, after all, 2024 was nothing short of cinematic for Pereira. He walked into UFC 300, flattened Jamahal Hill, and walked out nearly $3 million richer. Then, when UFC 303 teetered on collapse, he stepped in on short notice to face Jiri Prochazka.

He didn’t just fight, he delivered a thunderous performance and cashed his biggest payday yet: a jaw-dropping $3.59 million. Add another defense at UFC 307, and Pereira closed the year with $2.99 million more in his pocket. In total, his earnings soared past $9.5 million. But glory comes with a price.

Pereira continued, “I think my body got tired, I had some injuries, so I decided to take it easy and recover. And now I’m coming back, coming back firm and strong, to get my belt back.”

Alex Pereira says he took some time off to recover, but will be back soon

“We’ll definitely be talking about my next fight soon. I don’t have a specific date yet, but we already have an idea…

I’m coming back firm and strong, to get my belt back.”

@UFCBrasil #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/AnZKgkAShk

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 4, 2025

Still, the silence from Alex Pereira until this announcement didn’t go unnoticed. Magomed Ankalaev, perhaps sensing a shift, has been vocal consistently. He even claimed Pereira backed out of International Fight Week, alongside Prochazka. And during the ‘hacking’ incident, Ankalaev cheekily claimed responsibility for that too!

So, while fans speculate, Pereira seems to be plotting in the shadows. He hasn’t confirmed a return date, but his message suggests unfinished business. And with a legacy built on walk-off knockouts, stunning upsets, and last-minute heroics, it’s hard to rule him out.  And that brings us to an unexpected voice in ‘Poatan’s corner, one that once stood across the Octagon from him!

‘The Last Stylebender’ throws his support behind Pereira for the Ankalaev rematch

Israel Adesanya knows a thing or two about revenge. After all, Alex Pereira was the man who shattered his first UFC title reign with a thunderous knockout at UFC 281. But Adesanya got the last laugh at UFC 287, putting Pereira out cold and settling a rivalry that had spanned two sports and four fights. Now, ‘The Last Stylebender’ is rooting for the man who once haunted him.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Adesanya confessed, “I’m so proud of the guy, what he’s done. It’s like I created a monster. He showed why he is who he is across two weight classes.”

At UFC 313, Pereira may have lost the belt, but he didn’t lose heart. He stopped all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts, an impressive feat for a fighter who came into the UFC without a traditional grappling background. But on the feet, Ankalaev’s volume and precision earned him a unanimous decision.

As such, Adesanya continued, “I can’t wait to see the next fight with him and Ankalaev again. I think it’ll be another hard one, but I think he can get it done, because it wasn’t a complete washout for that fight. He’s exponentially getting better, as well.”

To wrap things up, while Magomed Ankalaev claims it’s over, Pereira’s calm declaration says otherwise: he’s resting, he’s recovering, and he’s coming back “firm and strong” to take back what was his. And with a former rival like Adesanya now singing his praises, the stage is set for an epic chapter. Will Alex Pereira rise again to reclaim the throne? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Earning $9.5M but Getting Injured, Alex Pereira Drops Truth Bomb on UFC Retirement After Magomed Ankalaev Claims appeared first on EssentiallySports.