Alex Pereira’s UFC 313 loss on March 8, 2025, didn’t just cost him the light heavyweight belt. It unleashed a personal storm from his ex-fiancée Merle Christine. After Magomed Ankalaev snatched the title in a unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Merle hit Instagram Stories with a mix of shade and praise that turned heads across the MMA world. She took digs at Pereira’s “chama” catchphrase and nodded to karma, while Pereira fired back on X with a jab of his own.
Pereira rolled into UFC 313 on a tear, having stopped Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree Jr. in 2024 to defend his 205-pound strap three times. Ankalaev, rocking a 13-fight unbeaten run since his 2018 UFC debut loss, brought the heat. He landed a nasty left hook in round two, pinning Pereira against the cage for over five minutes. Despite missing all 12 takedown tries, Ankalaev threw 102 strikes to Pereira’s 108, including 48 leg kicks, and walked away with a 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 decision. Pereira’s record dipped to 12-3, while Ankalaev’s climbed to 20-1-1, setting the stage for Merle’s big moment.
Merle’s Post-Fight Roast
Right after the March 8 dust-up, Merle Christine lit up Instagram Stories.
“We have a new light heavyweight champion … no more Chama. Karma,” she said with a smile. “He lost … on International Women’s Day. Maybe that’s a sign, guys? I don’t know.” The “chama” jab, Pereira’s Portuguese battle cry meaning “flame,” struck a nerve, tying her shade to his loss on a day celebrating women. She kept rolling.
“New light heavyweight champion Ankalaev, congrats,” she continued. “He did a really good job. If you guys are talking robbery, you don’t understand anything from MMA. So let’s not talk about robbery. That’s completely BS. This guy won and actually, he got this title shot very very late, right? So I think we should give him some props, even if we don’t like him or don’t like his fighting style. We should give him some props.”
Fans on X grabbed screenshots before the Stories faded, sparking a frenzy over her mix of mockery and respect.
Merle and Pereira called it quits in late 2022 after a stormy relationship that had MMA fans whispering. Rumors back then pegged Merle blaming Pereira for cheating, though neither spilled the full story. Her “karma” line and International Women’s Day nod suggest she’s settling an old score now that Pereira’s down.
Later, she added a follow-up. “
Don’t take life too serious,” she said. “I’m always kidding around a lot and obviously there’s some truth as well in my Stories, and maybe some day you will understand why. But I don’t care at the end if people are winning or losing or whatever, you know? The better man won, so that’s it, guys.”
MiddleEasy sees this as half-taunt, half-shrug. Merle’s playing it cool but dropping hints of deeper beef.
Alex Pereira responds:
“I think she should stop mentioning my name cause her husband might get jealous, chama”
(via. IG / @AlexPereiraUFC) https://t.co/BB9EExDH1U pic.twitter.com/xvD6HrqP6P
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 10, 2025
Pereira Claps Back
Pereira didn’t let Merle’s words slide. On X, he hit back with a zinger.
“I think she should stop mentioning my name cause her husband might get jealous, chama,” he tweeted.
The “chama” tag at the end shows pure defiance, proving he’s not ditching his catchphrase despite her shade. The vibe is clear. Pereira’s keeping his head up, tossing Merle’s jab right back at her with a smirk.
What’s Next for Poatan
Losing to Ankalaev and getting flak from Merle hits Pereira hard at 37. His 12-3 MMA record shows he’s won UFC belts in two divisions, but Ankalaev found weak spots in his fighting. Merle’s jab might shake him up off the mat. Still, “Poatan” knows how to bounce back from tough times in kickboxing and MMA. UFC boss Dana White hints at a rematch, so Pereira’s next step is huge. He’ll likely turn this trouble into energy to fight again soon.
