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Alex Pereira released a statement on his light heavyweight title loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Elsewhere, Justin Gaethje discussed why he doesn't want to fight Dustin Poirier anymore.
Here are today's top combat sports updates, presented by Sportskeeda MMA.
Alex Pereira issues statement on losing title
Alex Pereira's loss at UFC 313 came as a shock to many. The fight itself was evenly fought, with some fans and experts scoring it a draw or narrowly in Pereira's favor.
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In a social media statement released following the defeat, 'Poatan' looked in good sports and spoke confidently about a rematch. Seated with his kids, team, and friends, Pereira said:
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"Some marks, but I'm good. Gonna rest a bit. I'll come back, like I've always done... Life continues. Thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team. [I'm] gonna make some adjustments for the rematch, and I'll be back much better. You can count on it... Never give up on your dream. Chama!"
Dana White was not shocked with Alex Pereira's UFC 313 loss
In a video circulating online, eagle-eyed fans spotted Dana White allegedly looking upset at the UFC 313 main event scorecard. The clip showed Bruce Buffer revealing the judges' scores for Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev to White moments before announcing the new winner.
However, White clarified at the press conference that he was not at all surprised at the result and thought Ankalaev had done enough to win. But he also said that the fight didn't go as he expected:
"Not what I expected - expected a lot more shooting, a lot more exchanges... I thought [Magomed] Ankalaev won the fight. I wasn't like shocked when I heard the decision."
When asked if Pereira deserved an immediate rematch, White answered in one word: "Probably."
Justin Gaethje won't fight Dustin Poirier again
Justin Gaethje has a very specific and possibly realistic reason for not wanting to fight Dustin Poirier ever again.
The duo has fought twice. Headlining a Fight Night event in April 2018, 'The Diamond' emerged victorious with a fourth-round TKO. 'The Highlight' avenged the loss with a head kick knockout in the second round at UFC 291 in 2023.
However, Gaethje believes there is no point in them fighting each other anymore, which is a sentiment he has expressed before in recent interviews. Answering the question at the post-UFC 313 press conference after beating Rafael Fiziev, Gaethje said:
"No, I've stated many times that I don't think either one of our families deserves that. We're 1-1, I'm okay with it. If he's okay with it, then no. I don't think that's... I think we're contenders if we beat other people. If I beat him, I don't think either one of us would be considered a contender."
