Alex Pereira’s coach sends message to Magomed Ankalaev following Brutal KO of Johnny Walker: ‘See You Soon’

Magomed AnkalaevMagomed Ankalaev may have earned himself another shot at UFC gold following his brutal second-round knockout of Johnny Walker…

Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev may have earned himself another shot at UFC gold following his brutal second-round knockout of Johnny Walker on Saturday night.

After their UFC 294 clash came to a confusing and disappointing end, Ankalaev and Walker kicked off the promotion’s 2024 with a five-round headliner at UFC Vegas 84. Walker came out fast and furious in the opening round, but it didn’t take long for Ankalaev to slow the pace and begin chipping away at his opponent.

As Walker attempted to move in during the second round, Ankalaev uncorked a nasty right hook that sent Walker crashing to the canvas. Ankalaev quickly moved in and landed an absolutely vicious follow-up shot that was enough for the referee to jump in and save Walker from absorbing any further damage.

Following the victory, Magomed Ankalaev called for a light heavyweight title opportunity against the division’s reigning champion, Alex Pereira. That prompted a response from Pereira’s friend and coach, Glover Teixeira.

“Great knockout,” Teixeira wrote on X. “We will see u soon. #UFCFightNight”

UFC Fighters React to Magomed Ankalaev’s Impressive Performance

Teixeira wasn’t the only one who offered their immediate reaction to Magomed Ankalaev’s highlight-reel-worthy win in Las Vegas.

Video: Alex Pereira dupes Glover Teixeira into eating a restaurant napkin in hilarious prank

Alex PereiraIt may be tough to get a smile out of Alex Pereira, but a good old-fashioned prank on his friend and fellow former champion Glover Teixeira always seems to do the trick. Pereira and Teixeira (hey, that rhymes) have emerged as one of the more popular duos in mixed martial arts over the last year. […]

Alex Pereira

It may be tough to get a smile out of Alex Pereira, but a good old-fashioned prank on his friend and fellow former champion Glover Teixeira always seems to do the trick.

Pereira and Teixeira (hey, that rhymes) have emerged as one of the more popular duos in mixed martial arts over the last year. Sadly, Teixeira retired from the sport in January after coming up short against Jamahal Hill at UFC 283, but fans can still see the former light heavyweight king in the corner every time Alex Pereira steps inside the Octagon.

On occasion, we also get a behind-the-scenes look at their friendship outside of the UFC. Most of the time, that involves ‘Poatan’ pulling off some kind of prank on the legendary scrapper, as is the case with Pereira’s most recent clip shared on social media. In the video, which you can see below, Pereira convinces Teixeira that a restaurant napkin is actually something edible.

Look at the prank I’m going to do to Glover. It’s a napkin to clean hands, and I’ll tell him it’s to eat,” Pereira says in Portuguese, grinning.

Good, huh?” Teixeira responds in Portuguese after getting handed the dish. “F*ck, man. Damn.”

Come on, ‘Poatan!’” Teixeira adds after eating it. “F*ck you, man!

Alex Pereira Looks to Become a Two-Division UFC Champion in November

Alex Pereira will be back in action come November 11 when he looks to capture his second UFC title in as many weight classes. After conquering the middleweight division, ‘Poatan’ has found a new home at light heavyweight and in just his second fight in the division, will challenge ex-titleholder Jiri Prochazka for the vacant crown in the UFC 295 co-main event emanating from the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

Pereira earned his title opportunity after securing a split-decision victory over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 in July.

As for Prochazka, the bout will be his first fight since capturing the 205-pound title in a Fight of the Year contender with Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 last year. However, ‘Denisa’ was forced to vacate the belt after sustaining a shoulder injury that required him to undergo corrective surgery. More than a year later, Prochazka will attempt to reclaim the crown against Teixeira’s successor and protege.

Anthony Smith sees Alex Pereira struggling at 205: ‘He’s not the large scary monster he was at middleweight’

Anthony SmithAnthony Smith doesn’t see Alex Pereira posing as much of a threat in the light heavyweight division as he did at 185. ‘Lionheart’ will look to snap a two-fight losing skid this Saturday as the promotion heads to Singapore for a stacked event headlined by the return of fan-favorite Chan Sung Jung, aka The Korean […]

Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith doesn’t see Alex Pereira posing as much of a threat in the light heavyweight division as he did at 185.

‘Lionheart’ will look to snap a two-fight losing skid this Saturday as the promotion heads to Singapore for a stacked event headlined by the return of fan-favorite Chan Sung Jung, aka The Korean Zombie. In the co-main event, Anthony Smith will run back his September 2021 scrap with Ryan Spann. On that night, Smith scored a first-round rear-naked choke submission. He’ll look to repeat that result in Lion City this weekend.

Ahead of his return to the Octagon, Anthony Smith sat down with members of the media to discuss his upcoming contest and the state of the light heavyweight division.

Of course, you can’t talk about the 205-pound weight class without addressing the division debut of former middleweight world champion Alex Pereira. Poatan’ scored a closely-contested split decision over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 to secure himself an opportunity at light heavyweight gold.

“I like what Alex has brought to the division. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and his game and I just think it would be a really fun fight,” Smith said during his appearance at the UFC Singapore press event. “I think it would bring a little bit of intrigue to the fight just because of Glover and I’s history. Anything I can do to get a win over Glover, I will absolutely do.

Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira are far from strangers. The pair squared off inside the Octagon in 2020 with Teixeira coming out on top via a fifth-round TKO. In June, the pair competed against one another in a submission grappling match at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4. Teixeira once again saw his hand raised, this time via decision.

“As much as I like that guy and after the grappling thing, him and I, and his wife and mine sat and had some beers and talked about potential matchups with me and Alex and you know, it is what it is,” Pereira continued. “It’s all business. We’re all martial artists and competitors. It’s nothing personal.”

Anthony Smith Sees Alex Pereira Struggling in the Light Heavyweight Division

Speaking about Alex Pereira’s somewhat controversial win over Jan Blachowicz, Anthony Smith suggested that it was an eye-opening experience for the former GLORY Kickboxing world champion.

“It was a really close fight. I think probably 50% of the people had Alex and I think the other half had Jan,” Smith said. “I thought Alex looked pretty good. To be fair, I thought Jan looked pretty good as well. He was able to do a lot of things that Jan Blachowicz typically does to be successful. I think that Alex had a little bit of an eye-opening moment at 205. He’s not the large scary monster that he was at middleweight. He’s a fairly normal dude.

“Now because he’s so technical and has such an incredible striking game, he’s always going to be special, but in terms of just his size and power, he doesn’t stand out amongst all of the 205ers and I don’t think that Alex Pereira is more powerful than Aleksandar Rakic. He’s not going to be stronger than a guy like [Magomed] Ankalaev. These dudes are big, powerful, hard-hitting dudes, every single one of them.

“Because he’s such a good striker, he’s still going to be special, but it’s not going to just be his power and his strength that’s going to push him over the top anymore.”

Video – Glover Teixeira gets a rare smile out of Alex Pereira with makeup prank

Alex PereiraIt seems as though the only person that can get a smile out of Alex Pereira is his close friend and fellow former UFC world champion, Glover Teixeira. Pereira and Teixeira’s relationship has been the subject of many video clips and social media posts over the last year. Oftentimes, those include Teixeira pranking his Brazilian […]

Alex Pereira

It seems as though the only person that can get a smile out of Alex Pereira is his close friend and fellow former UFC world champion, Glover Teixeira.

Pereira and Teixeira’s relationship has been the subject of many video clips and social media posts over the last year. Oftentimes, those include Teixeira pranking his Brazilian brother in various manners. A few months back the former light heavyweight champ caught ‘Poatan’ off guard with an Instagram filter that makes it look like the person looking into the camera has a spider on their head.

Once again, Glover Teixeira was up to his old tricks as Alex Pereira was preparing for an on-camera appearance. Whilst getting some makeup applied behind the scenes, ‘Poatan’ had his eyes closed long enough for Teixeira to step in and take over as the make-up applicator. Opening his eyes, Pereira was both startled and amused.

Alex Pereira is Next in Line for a Light Heavyweight Title Opportunity

Of course, not all the behind-the-scenes moments between Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira are the latter pulling pranks on the former. Earlier this year, ‘Poatan’ surprised his friend with a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle in one of the more heartwarming moments between two of the UFC’s most appreciated competitors.

But, Pereira did attempt to drown Teixeira during a bizarre training exercise so maybe it’s best we try not to fully understand their relationship and just roll with it.

Last month, Alex Pereira made his light heavyweight debut at UFC 291, scoring a split-decision victory over former titleholder Jan Blachowicz. With the win, ‘Poatan’ will likely find himself competing for the 205-pound crown in his next appearance. Standing across from him inside the Octagon will likely be ex-champ Jiri Prochazka who is slated to return this fall after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Video – Alex Pereira attempts to drown Glover Teixeira in bizarre training exercise

Alex PereiraWho had Alex Pereira drowning Glover Teixeira in a creek on their 2023 bingo card? If so, you might be a winner because that is exactly what fans were treated to after a newsworthy weekend in the world of combat sports. On Saturday, fight fans witnessed all kinds of craziness. A horrifying elbow dislocation, a […]

Alex Pereira

Who had Alex Pereira drowning Glover Teixeira in a creek on their 2023 bingo card?

If so, you might be a winner because that is exactly what fans were treated to after a newsworthy weekend in the world of combat sports. On Saturday, fight fans witnessed all kinds of craziness. A horrifying elbow dislocation, a social media influencer baring it all in the boxing ring, and the rise of a new women’s UFC bantamweight contender in Mayra Bueno Silva. If that weren’t enough, you’re in luck because we’ve got another unusual moment in the world of mixed martial arts courtesy of a clip shared by Blockasset Sport on Twitter.

In the five-second video, which you can see below, former UFC world champions Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira were spotted training out in the wild and attempting to drown one another during a rather unique training session.

Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira are just as well-known for their incredibly close friendship as they are for their heavy-handed scraps inside the Octagon. Earlier this year, Pereira honored his friend with a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle in what was a truly touching gesture from one former champion to another.

Alex Pereira Ready for Light Heavyweight Debut at UFC 291

Alex Pereira, who previously held the UFC middleweight title, will make his light heavyweight debut after handing the 185-pound crown back to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 in April. Pereira’s premiere at 205 will come against former division king, Jan Blachowicz, as the two men co-headline UFC 291 on July 29 when the promotion heads back to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

“Everybody knows Blachowicz is a dangerous guy, an all-rounder, but I think it’s a good first fight for me,” Pereira said on his YouTube channel. “When I say my first fight, some people will think, oh, then it’s an easy opponent. No. All of you know my story. I was middleweight champ. So, for sure, they wanted to give me one of the top 5 ranked.”

Both men will be vying for an opportunity to become the next UFC light heavyweight champion. Recent reports suggested that the bout had already been promoted to a five-round championship bout after reigning titleholder Jamahal Hill was forced to vacate the crown after suffering an Achilles injury. However, a follow-up by MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn claimed that Pereira vs. Blachowicz will remain a three-round non-title affair despite the initial leak that said otherwise.

Alex Pereira favored in potential UFC title fight against Jamahal Hill: ‘It’s perfect for him’

Alex Pereira backed to beat Jamahal Hill in perfect style matchup UFC titleAmid continued speculation regarding how his style will translate at 205 pounds ahead of UFC 291 divisional landing, former middleweight champion, Alex Pereira has been backed to likely take over the throne from champion, Jamahal Hill by teammate, Glover Teixeira – who claims the matchup is “perfect” for his compatriot. Pereira, the current number one […]

Alex Pereira backed to beat Jamahal Hill in perfect style matchup UFC title

Amid continued speculation regarding how his style will translate at 205 pounds ahead of UFC 291 divisional landing, former middleweight champion, Alex Pereira has been backed to likely take over the throne from champion, Jamahal Hill by teammate, Glover Teixeira – who claims the matchup is “perfect” for his compatriot.

Pereira, the current number one ranked middleweight contender, is slated to make both his Octagon return and his light heavyweight divisional bow at UFC 291 at the end of the month, taking on former light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz in a co-main event slot in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Last time out, the Sao Paulo native, who has held gold at both the middleweight and light heavyweight limits during his tenure with GLORY Kickboxing, suffered a thunderous second round KO loss to arch-rival, Israel Adesanya – as the City Kickboxing staple regained the middleweight title.

Slated to return in a potential title-eliminator against Polish veteran, Blachowicz in Utah at the end of July, Alex Pereira’s knockout rate and ability has been questioned by Hill – with the current champion doubting the Brazilian’s chances of turning in violent finishes at light heavyweight akin to his middleweight stay.

Alex Pereira picked to beat Jamahal Hill in favourable matchup

However, according to former champion, Teixeira – who retired following his January title fight loss to Hill, Alex Pereira would matchup well against the Dana White’s Contender Series product in a projected future championship outing.

“For sure, the style with Jamahal Hill and Alex (Pereira), it’s perfect for Alex,” Glover Teixeira told assembled media following UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4. “Listen, Jamahal Hill is a great fighter, and Jan (Blachowicz) is a great fighter. We’re not looking past Jan over here like that. Styles make fights. My style was more grappling, and Jan is a tremendous striker. He beat Israel Adesanya and he was doing really good in the standup before he started going [for takedowns]. Jan is dangerous, he hits hard.” 

“But if everything goes to plan and Alex can get past Jan, for sure I think Jamahal Hill will be an amazing fight for Alex, and it would be nice to see revenge – nothing against Jamahal Hill, he’s a great guy as well, but yeah.” (H/T BJPENN.com)