Chael Sonnen, a former UFC fighter turned analyst, has a bold take on Alex Pereira’s future. Speaking on Submission Radio on March 27, 2025, Sonnen argued Pereira should not rematch Magomed Ankalaev after their light heavyweight title clash at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025. At that event, Ankalaev took Pereira’s belt with a unanimous decision win, ending the Brazilian’s reign.
Sonnen believes the fight showed Pereira in control once, but he’s skeptical about a do-over.
“I’m a very big Alex Pereira fan, on a personal level but also his work inside the cage,” Sonnen told Submission Radio (h/t MMA Fighting). “I gotta tell you, there is nothing within that first fight, whether illness, injury, or a combination of both, there was nothing about that first fight that would lead a reasonable analyst to believe you’re going to have a different outcome in the second fight.” He added.
“That first fight was four to one. It was four rounds to one. It really was not overly competitive. There were some good things done by Pereira, such as stopping the takedowns. We didn’t know he had this ability. It was a pretty slow pace and there wasn’t a lot done. I’m just suggesting there was nothing we saw, even at a slow pace, even at a drawn down action-packed night or lack thereof, there’s nothing to believe that rounds six, seven, eight, nine, and 10 are going to be any different.”
Pereira Might Not Gain More Than Ankalaev
Sonnen questioned what Pereira could improve.
“Whatever it is that Pereira is supposed to have learned in that job experience, why would we not believe an equal amount would be learned by Ankalaev?” he said. “Whatever we’re supposed to believe that Pereira gained to do a better job next time, why do we not believe that Ankalaev also learned? Ankalaev is the one that had his takedowns stuffed. So in theory, he’s the one that would have felt and know where the adjustments are to get the big guy off his feet. And once he gets him on the ground, I can’t imagine that’s where the judges are going to see it Pereira’s way.”
Sonnen sees Ankalaev as the one with room to grow.
He also doubts the rematch logic.
“I think it’s a surprise and I think it’s a risk,” Sonnen said. “The way we got Pereira to 205 pounds is contrary to what people remember. People’s minds have played a trick on them. People believe Pereira got to 205 because he cleaned out 185. That is not accurate. He got beat. And when he got beat at 185, he no longer has the belt, he no longer has to stay as the head of the division. He is free like anyone else to go anywhere he wants.”
Pereira lost his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya in April 2023 at UFC 287, then moved up.
“So if we wanted to get him to heavyweight, it wasn’t by beating Ankalaev thus cleaning out 205,” Sonnen added. “It would’ve been to get him beat, which we did. Our opportunity to bump him up to take on the winner of a Jones vs. Aspinall … the way to do it has already been done, and I’m not certain we shouldn’t have taken full advantage. The fight was close, he stopped the takedowns, it added to the story; let it go. There was nothing embarrassing about it. But if you rematch and you drop two straight, that’s where some embarrassment does set in.”
Pereira kicked off his light heavyweight run by taking the vacant title from Jiří Procházka at UFC 295 in November 2023. In 2024, he put on a show, defending the belt three times in six months against Procházka again, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree Jr., all knockouts. But at UFC 313, Ankalaev turned it into a striking battle, winning by decision despite failing on all 12 takedown tries. After the fight, Ankalaev’s coach claimed Pereira used some kind of lotion to slip out of grappling, though no proof backs that up. Pereira brushed it off as an excuse for Ankalaev’s struggles. With that loss fresh, Sonnen wonders if Pereira should look beyond a rematch, maybe even up to heavyweight, instead of chasing the belt he just lost.
