Alex Pereira says Magomed Ankalaev's UFC 313 gameplan getting rewarded with belt win will have consequences, fans give reality check: "Bell saved you"

Alex Pereira's remarks about Magomed Ankalaev's strategy at UFC 313 have caused a debate among the netizens. While some agreed with Pereira, others mocked the Brazilian for his performance, citing that he lost fair and square.

Pereira, known for being an active champion, returned to the octagon to make his fourth light heavyweight title defense against Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313. The PPV event took place this past Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both fighters entered the contest with a lot of animosity, with many expecting Ankalaev to be Pereira's toughest opponent yet. That's exactly what happened inside the cage as the Russian fighter succeeded in nullifying Pereira's attacks and captured the 205-pound belt via unanimous decision victory.

Following his loss, Pereira spoke to Joe Rogan during his octagon interview and asserted that Ankalaev did nothing noteworthy other than keeping him against the cage. 'Poatan' also stated that crowning Ankalaev the champion will encourage individuals to do the same in the future.

''He [Ankalaev] puts some pressure in the second round, I felt some of his strikes but putting me up against the cage, he didn't really do anything...Giving him the win with a gameplan like that, it incentivizes people to do that. [Via translator]"

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below (via Championship Rounds' X post):

Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''Thats mma champ. Not kickboxing. Plus, the bell saved you once. Very dominant performance from Ankalaev.''

Another one stated:

''Something was off with Alex, he wasn’t throwing with the urgency like he typically does''

Other fans wrote:

''Pereira will come back stronger''

''Dude got out skilled tonight, plain and simple!''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]