UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira recently lost his title after three prior title defenses. Despite his unexpected loss, fans and UFC veteran Henry Cejudo believes the fighter brought this on himself.
“Poatan” recently stepped into the cage to battle No. 1 contender Magomed Ankalaev at the UFC 313 main event. The match was highly anticipated, with many rooting for Pereira, which is why it came as a shock when the champ lacked his usual explosive nature and began to back down early. Fans and MMA experts expected Ankalaev to take the fight to the ground, but he preferred to stick with striking and was on the offensive throughout the bout. His efforts finally paid off after chasing Pereira around the cage throughout the fight, and he was awarded a unanimous decision win.
The loss was devastating for the champ, and many wonder if the limelight might be getting to him. Prior to the bout, UFC fighter Matt Brown expressed concern about Pereira spending too much time in the spotlight rather than training, but Pereira dismissed these claims. However, since his loss, it seems that another UFC veteran, Henry Cejudo, may share the same opinion.
In an episode of *Pound for Pound*, Henry Cejudo expressed his perspective on Pereira’s loss and believes the fighter’s poor performance was due to his recent lifestyle and constant appearances in the spotlight.
“I think Alex Pereira’s lifestyle is finally kind of catching up to him,” Cejudo said. “The travel, the ‘Chama,’ a lot of the skits, and a lot of stuff that he’s actually doing—it’s really not doing him any favors. The reason why I say this is because his body looked a little different. Dude, he looked a little pudgier; he looked a little thicker in the face going in.”
“We have to credit Magomed Ankalaev. He did a really good job with his composure, bro. He didn’t react to a lot of Pereira’s things. The dude has his hands up the whole damn time, and not just that, but Alex Pereira also has trouble with southpaws.”
For now, there may still be a chance for Pereira to reclaim his title, as both fighters are open to a rematch, and Ankalaev has advised Pereira to bring his best this time.
