Alex Pereira's manager drops hint about 'Poatan's' next fight, dismissing Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira was able to defend his light heavyweight title for the second time as he defeated Jiri Prochazka via second-round TKO in the main event of UFC 303. While there has been plenty of speculation about what will come next for 'Poatan' - with Magomed Ankalaev appearing to be the most likely opponent - it may be another light heavyweight contender who gets the next crack at the champion.

Jorge Guimarães, who manages Pereira, commented under a poll of who he should face next. The options listed were Ankalaev, Jan Blachowicz, the winner of Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes, and the winner of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic. The mixed martial arts manager reportedly picked Blachowicz as the next opponent. Championship Rounds provided a screenshot of the comment to X, adding:

"Alex Pereira's manager, Jorge Guimarães, commented under a post asking who is next for Alex Pereira? His answer: Jan Blachowicz 👀 #UFC #MMA"

Check out the tweet from Championship Rounds below:

Blachowicz previously welcomed Pereira to the light heavyweight division at UFC 291 last July, giving him his toughest test at 205 pounds to date. It is hard to make a case that he is deserving of the next title opportunity, however, as his last win came against Aleksandar Rakic, who was rendered unable to continue with a torn ACL, at UFC on ESPN 36 over two years.

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Magomed Ankalaev claims he will cause Alex Pereira 3x more damage than Israel Adesanya

Magomed Ankalaev has angled for the opportunity to face Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title. The No.2-ranked light heavyweight recently claimed that he will cause 'Poatan' three times as much damage as Israel Adesanya did at UFC 287, while also taking a shot at Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill.

Ankalaev, who has continued to call for a title bout on X, tweeted:

"@AlexPereiraUFC I respect you but the reality is you’re still the champion because you haven’t fought me yet. You fought with a fake ninja and a street fighter both with no chins. If Izzy can KO you then I will cause 3x damage. I will do it with no wrestling.with you"

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's tweet to Alex Pereira below:

Ankalaev has expressed that he will not take the fight to the ground if allowed to fight Pereira. While the strategy has not worked out for his previous opponents - outside of Adesanya - it could simply be a strategy to get 'Poatan' to agree to the bout. The No.2-ranked light heavyweight comes from a Combat Sambo background and agreeing to not wrestle would significantly impact his chances of capturing the light heavyweight title.