Alex Pereira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, recently lost to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 311. After the fight, Ankalaev’s coach, Sukhrab Magomedov, accused Pereira of greasing his body, claiming it made him slippery and hard to grapple. Pereira denied these claims in an interview with Ariel Helwani on March 26, 2025. He also addressed Joe Rogan’s comments about a hand injury and novovirus affecting his performance, sharing the challenges he faced during his fight camp.
Denying the Greasing Allegations
Ankalaev’s coach claimed Pereira used a substance to make his body slick during their UFC 311 fight. According to X posts, the coach said Ankalaev noticed this when pushing Pereira against the fence and even smelled something like ointment. The accusation suggested Pereira cheated to avoid takedowns, a key part of Ankalaev’s strategy.
Pereira strongly denied the claims.
“I absolutely didn’t put nothing on my body. The way that his coach is putting on, this sounds to me like he’s trying to make an excuse, looking for an excuse, to justify the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but the guy got stuffed on 12 of his takedown attempts,” he said.
Pereira noted that Ankalaev tried 12 takedowns, but he defended all of them, suggesting the coach was making excuses for his fighter’s failure.
He compared the situation to a workplace mistake, saying:
“It’s almost like you’re in a company, you mess up and you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, and then you try to make excuses to justify that. Absolutely nothing on my body.”
Pereira also took a sarcastic jab at the coach, adding:
“You’ve also got to ask his coach if we put oil or put vaseline on the mats too. Because that’s why Ankalaev fell on his back. He got taken down like that.”
This comment referred to Ankalaev slipping during the fight, which Pereira implied was unrelated to any greasing.
Alex Pereira responds to Magomed Ankalaev’s coach accusing him of greasing:
“Sounds to me like he’s trying to make an excuse to justify the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but the guy got stuffed on 12 takedowns.”
🎥 @arielhelwani pic.twitter.com/xXcFsl5P2J
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 26, 2025
Pereira explained his approach in the octagon, saying:
“I’m a guy that I want to stand up with this guy, and this guy is trying to take me down. You create an awareness, and you gotta find a different distance to adapt.”
He adjusted his strategy to counter Ankalaev’s takedown attempts, showing his adaptability.
Alex Pereira on appearing to get rocked at the end of round 2:
“The hit got in, yes, but it was not even close to being something that I needed time to recover, an extra round or anything like that. I was just fine.
I’m a guy that I want to stand up with this guy and this guy… pic.twitter.com/CxNCaV9jzL
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 26, 2025
Addressing the Hand Injury and Novovirus Claims
Joe Rogan mentioned on his podcast that Pereira dealt with a hand injury and novovirus during his UFC 311 fight camp, which might have impacted his performance. Pereira clarified this in the same interview, refusing to use it as an excuse for the loss.
“I’m not trying to take credit from Ankalaev, many people have tried to do that kind of thing, and I’m not this type of guy. Pereira said, showing respect for his opponent.
“Everyone goes through their own problems—I’m sure he had his too. I had mine.”
He confirmed the challenges, stating:
“My hand is fine, but it did affect a lot of things. I don’t wanna use that as an excuse. One of the more complicated fight camps that has ever happened.”
The hand injury and novovirus made his preparation tough, but he didn’t want to focus on them as reasons for his defeat.
Pereira stood by his decision to fight, saying:
“I do not regret fighting because I’ve motivated a lot of people. Anytime I’ve pushed through challenges, I’ve been able to overcome them. Many times it worked, but this time it wasn’t my moment. No regrets.”
His words highlight his resilience and commitment to inspiring others, even in a loss.
Looking ahead, Pereira believes he deserves another shot at the title.
“I feel like an immediate rematch is deserved after everything I’ve done for this division in the UFC,” Pereira said.
He reflected on his journey, adding:
“From where I come from to where I’ve gone, I was able to conquer things I never imagined I could. I’ve achieved so much that I should be happy, whatever comes next is extra. I’m still very motivated to win the belt back.”
Alex Pereira shares that he contemplated not fighting at UFC 313:
“My hand is fine, but it did affect a lot of things… I don’t wanna make excuses… I don’t wanna use this as leverage for anything. This was one of the more complicated fight camps that has ever happened… But… pic.twitter.com/2Njlu4tuHy
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 26, 2025
His words show his gratitude for his accomplishments and his determination to reclaim the light heavyweight belt, keeping fans eager for his next move in the UFC.
