After what happened to Alex Pereira earlier this year when he faced Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, ‘Poatan’ entered as the underdog against the wrestling-heavy Ankalaev at UFC 320. But the fight ended as quickly as it had begun, and with a shocking end. The 38-year-old landed a crisp left hook that stunned Ankalaev, followed by a barrage of strikes that dropped him. 

The Brazilian continued his barrage of shots to the Russian’s head and body on the ground, as Ankalaev failed to respond. This forced referee Herb Dean to stop the fight at 2:17, awarding Pereira a TKO victory. This win marked Pereira’s triumphant return to the 205-pound throne, solidifying his status as a dominant champion. Now, Pereira has revealed why he lost the first fight. 

Alex Pereira shares the reason ‘nobody believed’

“Vengeance is never a good thing,” the Brazilian kickboxer told Joe Rogan during the Octagon interview through his translator. “It’s kind of a poison sometimes.” He then turned his attention to the reason behind his initial loss to Ankalaev. “I told everyone I was not in good condition last time. Nobody believed it. You saw it.”

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When asked whether he was surprised by the stark difference between his first fight and second, he claimed he wasn’t. “It didn’t surprise me,” Pereira said during the interview. “I saw that in the first fight. I don’t like to make excuses, but I’ve been saying I wasn’t well that night, but tonight I’m very well.”

Notably, Alex Pereira previously explained that he performed at only 40% of his capacity during his first loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March 2025. This was primarily due to multiple injuries and health issues that severely compromised his preparation and output. While Pereira proved his loss was a fluke, Ankalaev saw his 12-fight unbeaten streak end.

Regardless, the rest of the combat world has now acknowledged Pereira’s supremacy. 

Renato Moicano, Kamaru Usman, and Justin Gaethje react to Pereira’s win

With his latest victory, Pereira now holds wins over Ankalaev, Jiri Prochazka, Jan Blachowicz, Jamahal Hill, and Sean Strickland. What’s common about them? They have all held UFC gold at one point or another. And it’s his resume that seems to have impressed the rest of the pros, who quickly shared their reaction to Pereira’s win. 

“Jeeeeez Pereira came to Thump,” Kamaru Usman tweeted. Meanwhile, Renato Moicano added, “The best Brazilian fighter to ever exist… POATAN MAIN EVENT WHITE HOUSE.” Justin Gaethje also praised Pereira’s dominance. “@AlexPereiraUFC straight inspiration!! Came back and reclaimed not once but TWO times. Beast. #ufc320.”

Petr Yan wrote, “That was a reminder that rematches can look very different from the first fight.”

Safe to say, the entire world is impressed by Alex Pereira’s performance on Saturday night. It makes you question what would have happened if he had been 100% in the first fight? Who do you think he should fight next? And what should the Russian fighter do now?