Alex Pereira lost his UFC light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. Joe Rogan shared insights on his UFC London Fight Companion podcast about why Pereira faltered. Fans saw the champ struggle that night. Rogan’s comments shed light on the fight and hint at a possible redo.
Pereira’s Tough Fight
Pereira fell by unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena. Rogan highlighted a key shift.
“Ankalaev and Pereira, second round (Alex Pereira) gets rocked and then he’s kind of not the same after that,” he said on the podcast. “Much more defensive after that. I saw a good breakdown of Ankalaev’s standup against (Alex) Pereira, it was very high level. Especially taking away the front hand, he’s doing this circular motion with his hand and taking away angles.”
Ankalaev’s skill changed the bout.
Battling Pain and Sickness
Rogan revealed hidden hurdles.
“They say he fought with a broken hand and norovirus against Ankalaev,” he noted casually.
🚨Joe Rogan suggests Alex Pereira fought Magomed Ankalaev with a broken hand
“They say he fought with a broken hand and norovirus against Ankalaev”
(via JRE Podcast) pic.twitter.com/UFr4Umsybq
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) March 24, 2025
Norovirus brings vomiting and weakness, tough for any athlete. He added past examples.
“He fought with a broken toe before,” Rogan said. “When he beat Jiri Prochazka, he had a f*cked-up knee. Remember when he went and he tumbled at the end of the fight, that’s because his knee wouldn’t support him. He was basically fighting on one leg in the first fight. Then he gets surgery, I guess it’s probably meniscus, because he came back pretty quick.” Pereira’s grit showed.
Ankalaev dominated the five rounds. Pereira landed only 11 head strikes, per UFC stats, far below his usual power. A left hook in round two shook him, forcing caution. Judges gave it to Ankalaev with scores of 49-46 and 48-47 twice, making him the new champ. Pereira’s knockout run ended.
Rematch Talk
Rogan predicts a second go.
“They’re going to run it back, I’m sure,” he said. “That’s the big fight in that division and if Pereira can come in healthy. But he’s another one, he’s too active.”
Pereira fought three times in 2024 before this loss. Dana White backed the idea at the UFC 313 press conference, suggesting it’s likely if Pereira recovers.
Now 37, Pereira has pushed through injuries before. He beat Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 in October 2024 with bruised ribs, per his post-fight words. His first win over Prochazka in November 2023 came despite a knee issue, seen in his stumble. His MMA record stands at 11-2.
