Alex Pereira’s ambitions of becoming a three-division UFC champion may have hit a brick wall at UFC 313. If you ask Daniel Cormier, that wall isn’t just Magomed Ankalaev—it’s the sheer reality of size, strength, and physics.
Pereira, who has already conquered both middleweight and light heavyweight gold, saw his latest reign abruptly halt when Ankalaev methodically shut him down for five rounds. The loss has undoubtedly slowed—if not completely shut down—the talk of “Poatan” moving up to heavyweight in search of a third title.
And frankly, Cormier thinks that’s a good thing.
CORMIER: HEAVYWEIGHTS WOULD WALK THROUGH HIM
Daniel Cormier knows a thing or two about ruling multiple weight classes and the heavyweight division. The former champ-champ made history at both light heavyweight and heavyweight, beating some of the sport’s most feared names along the way. And in his eyes, Pereira has reached his limit.
“When we watched Saturday, and watched him and Ankalaev fight, I think he’s kind of maxed out the weight he can go up,” Cormier said on Good Guy / Bad Guy. “I don’t think he’s strong enough to go with anyone bigger, because the amount of pressure that Ankalaev was able to generate without the danger coming back at him like we expected—those heavyweights would kind of just walk right through what he was throwing at them.”
Translation: If Ankalaev was able to bully Pereira without even completing a takedown, what happens when Pereira faces the battle-tested heavyweight division? The guys who don’t just pressure you against the fence, but some of them ragdoll you on the ground.
I think about guys like Serghei Spivac, who, despite coming off a loss, can ragdoll a fighter like Derrick Lewis.
Heavyweight isn’t just about power—it’s about durability. The ability to take damage, absorb shots, and keep moving forward. Pereira is a phenomenal striker, but even at light heavyweight, we saw that his opponents can wear him down when he isn’t landing clean. An elite heavyweight’s sheer size, strength, and pressure could be overwhelming.
ANKALAEV EXPOSED PEREIRA’S LIMITATIONS
Ankalaev didn’t just beat Pereira—he controlled him. And while he didn’t get a takedown, he didn’t need one. The Russian standout played his game, cutting off the cage, forcing Pereira backward, and keeping him against the fence for long periods.
Though this isn’t exactly what fans want, Ankalaev naturalized Pereira.
This wasn’t the Pereira that flatlined Jamahal Hill. This wasn’t the Pereira that blasted through Jiri Prochazka. This was a Pereira who looked unsure, hesitant, and unable to dictate the fight.
Even Chael Sonnen, Cormier’s co-host and a man who loves stirring the pot, admitted that Pereira has some serious adjustments to make if he ever hopes to move up another division.
“One thing we can all agree, whatever Pereira does next will be for a world title,” Sonnen said. “But he’s talking about [UFC middleweight champion] Dricus [du Plessis]—that’s not going to happen—I’m talking about Tom Aspinall. Dana [White] got on board with that a little bit, now it looks like they’re settled back down, but he’s not going to go and jump and agree to that fight unless he believes he can change the outcome.”
Meanwhile, as the dust settles, Magomed Ankalaev is making it clear—he’s not just a champion, he’s the champion.
After claiming UFC gold in a dominant decision win, Ankalaev wasted no time setting the tone for his reign. He took to social media with a mix of respect and bravado, praising Pereira, but he is also the better striker.
“It was an honor sharing the cage with you,” Ankalaev tweeted at Pereira. “You are a great champion and your team, your coaches have a lot of class. Let’s run it back anytime you want.”
That’s respect. But then, Ankalaev sent a verbal jab his way.
“I just watched the whole fight—I can out-strike the best strikers,” he wrote. “First three rounds, I made up my mind I will just strike with him. It was so much fun, and it was not easy when all your opponent does is running. My pressure today was my best weapon, and I’m very happy.”
Let’s be clear: that’s a shot at Pereira. Ankalaev is outright saying Pereira wasn’t aggressive, wasn’t dangerous, and spent more time avoiding the fight than engaging.
I would say that it was more Ankalaev confused Pereira and he just couldn’t get it going. The pressure and time on the fence wore him out. Although stats from ESPN claim that Ankalaev out struck Pereira in rounds two, four, and five.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
For Pereira, the options aren’t as clear as they were a few months ago.
- Stay at 205 and try to reclaim the belt – This is the most logical choice. If Pereira believes he can make the right adjustments, he’ll push for a rematch with Ankalaev. But after Saturday’s fight, it’s hard to see what Pereira can change to make it go differently.
- Move back down to middleweight – Sonnen hinted at this, but it’s unlikely. Pereira has already conquered 185, and cutting back down to fight Dricus Du Plessis would be unnecessary.
- Test heavyweight, after all – Despite Cormier’s doubts, there’s still the lingering possibility that Pereira does move up. A fight against an elite heavyweight like Tom Aspinall would be massive. But again, if he struggled with Ankalaev’s pressure, what would happen when he faced a real heavyweight grappler?
As for Ankalaev? He’s in the driver’s seat. Whether he grants Pereira an immediate rematch or moves on to a new challenger, one thing is clear—he’s not just a champion; he’s the guy at 205 now.
BOTTOM LINE: PEREIRA IS AT A CROSSROADS
Alex Pereira has made a career winning tough fights. He wasn’t supposed to beat Adesanya—he did. He wasn’t supposed to take over light heavyweight—he did. But now, after running into the Ankalaev wall, we’re left wondering: What’s next?
Cormier doesn’t think heavyweight is a viable option. Sonnen isn’t ruling it out. And Ankalaev? He’s more than happy to remind everyone that, on that night, he was simply better.
So the question remains: Does Pereira stay and fight for redemption, or does he roll the dice and chase history?
One thing is certain—whatever he does next, it won’t be boring. Check that, it might be.
