Alex Pereira, the former UFC two-division champion, has admitted he wasn’t hacked when he posted a fiery tweet on May 7, 2025, hinting at issues with the UFC and possible retirement. Through his coach Plinio Cruz on The Ariel Helwani Show on September 3, 2025, Pereira confessed the post was his, sparked by frustration over title shot talks. He blamed miscommunication with his team and the UFC, not the promotion itself. Now cleared up, Pereira is focused on his light heavyweight title rematch against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025.
The Tweet That Shook Fans
On May 7, 2025, Pereira’s tweet stunned the MMA world.
“I always answered the UFC’s calls, but if they want to play with me, we can do that,” he posted on X at 1:54 p.m. ET. “I’ve never spoken poorly of the UFC but with what I’ve just heard I’m disheartened. I’ve already had thoughts of not fighting anymore, and after what was just relayed to me this may be the start.”
The post racked up nearly 2 million views.
Pereira initially claimed a hack, saying on Instagram:
“I didn’t even know about it. I was hacked,” and praised his good ties with the UFC.
But Cruz set the record straight.
“A little bit was miscommunication, because Alex found out through social media and stuff like that,” he said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “He was upset. That’s why he sent the (tweet), but he regretted it. He was wrong because he didn’t know talks that were going on, things that were going on, so it was kind of a miscommunication between camp, manager and the UFC – not the UFC’s fault.”
What Fueled the Outburst
Pereira’s frustration came from learning on social media that Jiří Procházka, whom he defeated twice, was in talks for a title shot against Magomed Ankalaev, per Bloody Elbow. After losing the light heavyweight title to Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025, Pereira expected a rematch.
“It was a little bit impulsive from him,” Cruz said. “He acted a little early because he didn’t talk to our manager or find out from Hunter (Campbell). He saw the internet stuff, and he felt a little bit hurt because he was promised the next title shot.”
The issue is now resolved.
“It’s all straight up now,” Cruz said, confirming Pereira worked things out with UFC’s Hunter Campbell and his team. He’s now training hard for UFC 320 in Las Vegas, aiming to reclaim the belt.
Alex “Poatan” Pereira, 38, has a 12-3 MMA record, with 10-2 in the UFC. A former GLORY kickboxing champion, he debuted in the UFC on November 6, 2021, knocking out Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. He won the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022, via fifth-round TKO, but lost it to Adesanya via second-round KO at UFC 287 on April 8, 2023. Pereira moved to light heavyweight, winning the vacant title against Jiří Procházka via second-round TKO at UFC 295 on November 18, 2023. He defended it against Jamahal Hill (first-round KO, UFC 300, April 13, 2024), Procházka (second-round KO, UFC 303, June 29, 2024), and Khalil Rountree Jr. (fourth-round TKO, UFC 307, October 5, 2024). He lost the belt to Magomed Ankalaev via unanimous decision at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025, his first UFC loss since 2023. Pereira now trains for their rematch at UFC 320, focusing on wrestling defense.
