Alex Pereira took the backseat regarding creating headlines in the UFC community following his light heavyweight title defeat against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Despite a title rematch between the two being on the cards, Pereira’s silence got several fans concerned about his return to the Octagon.
However, the Brazilian relieved all of them with one of his recent announcements. His revelation got his followers charged up, some of whom also provided Ankalaev with a dare.
Fans Called on Magomed Ankalaev To Be Ready for Alex Pereira
Pereira looked like an unstoppable force since his move to the light heavyweight division at UFC 291. The Brazilian captured the divisional title at UFC 295 with a second-round TKO victory over Jiří Procházka, following which he went on the dream run of his career.
Pereira defended his title thrice in 2024 with victories over Jamahal Hill, Khalil Rountree Jr., and Procházka, earning fans’ appreciation for his superb activity rate. However, 2025 brought an untoward twist for him, as he lost his title to Ankalaev via unanimous decision in his first fight of the year at UFC 313.
Pereira expressed his desire for a rematch shortly following his loss against Ankalaev. However, despite his rival’s acceptance, the Brazilian had been relatively dormant for the past few months. “Poatan’s” silence sparked rumors of his retirement in the community.
Pereira put all those speculations to rest with one of his recent announcements on “UFC Brasil” YouTube channel, which was relayed by @ChampRDS through an X update. The Brazilian didn’t specify a date for his comeback, but he mentioned that he would be back in action “soon”.
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
“We’ll definitely be talking about my next fight soon. I don’t have a specific date yet, but we already have an idea,” said Pereira. “I took some time off to rest because I worked so hard in 2024. I think my body got tired. I had some injuries, so I decided to take it easy and recover. Now I’m coming back, firm and strong, to get my belt back.”
Pereira’s announcement fired up his fans, some of whom also challenged Ankalaev in the comments section of the update. One such comment read, “Don’t run Ank [Ankalaev], we are coming.”
Dont run ank, we are coming pic.twitter.com/58yYwqNR1M
— ScruffyMMA (@Dev1Poatan) June 4, 2025
Another fan stated, “The king is back, baby.”
The king is back baby
— GT (@GT9148828680195) June 4, 2025
A third one penned, “We will get our belt back.”
we WILL get our belt back
— yadong chinese power 🇨🇳 (@crispyzucchinii) June 4, 2025
Two others expressed their excitement, writing, “LET’S GO” and “Chama”.
During one of his appearances at “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Pereira confirmed that he walked into his UFC 313 encounter with a few problems, rumored to be a broken hand and a norovirus infection. However, he seems to have recovered from all his physical issues now. Fans can expect to witness the 2024 version of Pereira in his next fight once more.