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A UFC veteran recently pointed out the difference between how Alex Pereira conducted himself after losing his title and how Ronda Rousey handled her own championship defeat.
Pereira's reign as the light heavyweight champion came to an end last month at UFC 313, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev. In the latest episode of ESPN's Good Guy / Bad Guy, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen weighed in on how ‘Poatan’ remains a fan favorite despite his defeat.
Sonnen explained that Pereira’s strong bond with his fans is what keeps him so popular, in contrast to 'Rowdy', who, according to the former UFC title challenger, faded from the public eye after her losses:
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"Vince McMahon 101 was to give the audience what they want but not what they're expecting, and I just think that's a little piece from Pereira. I don't think we expected him to surface; I don't think that we expected him to be dressed nicely and not be moping around... I like that he shows his face."
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He continued:
"Listen, I'll give you a juxtaposition, but it was just Ronda Rousey. We're told repeatedly how wonderful she was and that she was better than the rest of us, but the second that she lost, she never helped the sport again. She never had anybody's back. It's very hard to cheer for a guy if he can't handle the defeat... That simple shot of Alex Pereira really told a heck of a story, and yes, I do think it's one of the big reasons that the crowd forgives him, accepts him, and is so happy to see him."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (25:42):
Which record held by Ronda Rousey did Alex Pereira break at UFC 307?
Alex Pereira etched his name in the history books by becoming the fastest fighter in UFC history to secure titles in two divisions. He reached this milestone with a knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 in November 2023, claiming the light heavyweight championship.
'Poatan' went on to surpass Ronda Rousey’s record of defending her UFC title three times within 189 days. He achieved this with a fourth-round stoppage victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 in October 2024, completing the feat in just 175 days.
In 2024, Pereira solidified his title reign by knocking out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 and stopping Prochazka in their rematch at UFC 303.
