Alex Pereira had an incredible rise in the light heavyweight division, with five wins in a row, including four knockouts in title fights, and victories over four former champions. However, like many stars, he faced a setback in a five-round fight with Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313.
Despite a close fight, Pereira seemed hesitant and spent much of the time being controlled by Ankalaev, who surprisingly didn’t even attempt a takedown. This strategy by Ankalaev highlighted some vulnerabilities in Pereira’s aura of invincibility at 205 pounds. But according to UFC legend Matt Brown, losing doesn’t mean Pereira has been figured out.
“I don’t think ‘exposed’ is the right word, but I think it humanized him,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast. “He was benefiting from a lot of hype, skillfully created by the UFC. It’s easy for fans and even experts to get caught up in this hype. The UFC often does this.”
“They did it with Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and now Alex. It’s a recurring pattern. Jon Jones is the only one who truly lived up to the hype, although even he had close fights,” Brown added.
Pereira’s quick success in title fights at light heavyweight made people forget his earlier UFC career, where he was notably knocked out by Israel Adesanya before changing divisions.
Brown points out that what happened to Pereira against Ankalaev is a common experience for even the greatest UFC champions.
“This is part of the sport,” Brown explained. “If you keep fighting, you become humanized. I wouldn’t say ‘exposed’ because Ankalaev didn’t get a takedown and dominate him on the ground. Pereira defended takedowns well and even did damage while against the cage.”
“So, ‘exposed’ is incorrect. But Pereira’s hype train has definitely slowed down. He remains a great fighter, but the UFC might have overestimated his invincibility.”
Despite the disappointing loss, Pereira might have a chance to redeem himself in a rematch, as UFC CEO Dana White has hinted at an immediate second fight.
The light heavyweight division lacks a clear top contender, and Pereira was a three-time defending champion before losing to Ankalaev.
While the UFC 313 loss is a setback, Brown believes it can be positive, especially if it builds a bigger rivalry with Ankalaev for a rematch.
“In this age of short attention spans, people will move on quickly,” Brown said. “The rematch will be a big draw. People will forget it was a somewhat uneventful fight. I found the tactics interesting, especially Ankalaev’s limited wrestling attempts. I expected him to wrestle more.”
“If the UFC promotes this rivalry, it could be huge for Alex. He could become unique in combat sports history by having two major rivalries [after Adesanya] to boost his star power.”
However, a concern is Pereira’s age; he’s turning 38, and another loss to Ankalaev could severely impact his future.
Two losses aren’t career-ending, and Pereira can still deliver exciting fights and knockouts. But back-to-back losses to Ankalaev would damage his brand.
In the UFC, drawing power is incredibly valuable.
“It’s not make or break, but for his star power, it might be,” Brown said. “If he loses the rematch, his star power diminishes. But if he wins decisively against Ankalaev, his star power will skyrocket again, putting him back at the very top.”
“If he loses again, a title shot against Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall becomes unlikely. Retirement might be considered. To get another title shot, he’ll have to work his way back up.”
