Joe Rogan’s got some hot takes on why Alex Pereira looked like a shadow of himself in his UFC 313 title fight loss, and I’m here to break it down with some spice. “Poatan” dropped his light heavyweight strap to Magomed Ankalaev in a snooze-fest of a five-rounder where his legendary knockout power was MIA, ending his run of three straight defenses. So, what gives?
On a UFC London Fight Companion episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan dropped a bombshell, casually mentioning, “They say he fought with a broken hand and norovirus against Ankalaev.” Yep, you heard that right—norovirus, that nasty gut-wrecker that leaves you puking and praying for mercy. Pair that with a busted hand, and it’s no wonder Pereira wasn’t slinging bombs. He hasn’t confirmed any of this himself (dude’s been quiet since the March 8 PPV), and Rogan didn’t dig deeper, but he did wonder if Pereira’s just been burning the candle at both ends after three title fights in 2024. “He’s too active,” Rogan mused, and honestly, he might be onto something.
Rogan pointed out Pereira’s history of fighting banged up: “He fought with a broken toe before. When he beat Jiri Prochazka, he had a f*cked-up knee. Remember when he went and he tumbled at the end of the fight, that’s because his knee wouldn’t support him. He was basically fighting on one leg in the first fight. Then he gets surgery, I guess it’s probably meniscus, because he came back pretty quick.” This guy’s a warrior, no doubt, but maybe pushing through injuries finally caught up to him.
Ankalaev, riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak, brought his A-game with slick, tactical striking that neutered Pereira’s offense. The turning point? A second-round shot that rocked Pereira’s world. “Ankalaev and Pereira, second round [Pereira] gets rocked and then he’s kind of not the same after that,” Rogan said. “Much more defensive after that. I saw a good breakdown of Ankalaev’s standup against Pereira, it was very high level. Especially taking away the front hand, he’s doing this circular motion with his hand and taking away angles.” Credit where it’s due—Ankalaev outclassed him and snagged the belt with a unanimous decision.
So, what’s next for Pereira, the ex-two-division champ who’s become a UFC fan favorite faster than you can say “Poatan”? A rematch with Ankalaev feels like the obvious move, especially since Rogan’s betting on it: “They’re going to run it back, I’m sure. That’s the big fight in that division and if Pereira can come in healthy.” But light heavyweight’s stacked with hungry contenders, and Pereira’s been dropping hints about jumping to heavyweight. Either way, Rogan thinks Pereira’s relentless schedule might need a breather. We? I just want to see that knockout magic again—healthy or not, this guy’s a beast worth watching.
