Daniel Cormier questions Alex Pereira’s chances at heavyweight after UFC 313 loss to Magomed Ankalaev: "I don’t think he’s strong enough"

Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier doubts Alex Pereira’s chances of survival at heavyweight. At UFC 313, Pereira failed to defend his UFC light heavyweight gold as he was dethroned by Magomed Ankalaev via unanimous decision.

Ankalaev’s wrestling and striking blended perfectly and overpowered 'Poatan', who could not unleash his powerful left hook to finish the challenger. Ankalaev was considered the Brazilian fighter's hardest opponent because of his well-rounded skill set, and his victory at UFC 313 confirmed the same.

Cormier, who was previously worried about 'Poatan’s' off-camp distractions and him not training enough, has now given his thoughts on why Pereira is not ready to fight at heavyweight. In a recent episode of Good Guy / Bad Guy, 'DC' said:

“I don’t think he’s strong enough to go with anyone bigger, the amount of pressure that Ankalaev was able to generate without danger coming back at him, those heavyweights would kind of just walk right through what he was throwing at him.”

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments about Alex Pereira below:

With 'Poatan' losing, there has been news about a potential rematch soon for him to reclaim his lost glory. However, his previous plans to transition to heavyweight and fight Jon Jones seem to be halted following the UFC 313 loss.

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Israel Adesanya opens up on Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Israel Adesanya, who has locked horns with Alex Pereira four times across promotions, has now given his views on the UFC 313 main event.

In a YouTube video on his channel, scoring the bout himself, Adesanya said:

“I had Alex winning yeah but I’m not sure. I’d have to watch it again and score the fight properly. The round two might have played a factor, just because he dropped him, but then holding against the fence, I don’t really remember him getting any takedowns."

Talking about a potential rematch that has already been seconded by UFC CEO Dana White, Ankalaev and 'Poatan' himself, 'The Last Stylebender' added:

"It was a competitive fight back-and-forth. They’re both going to level up and yeah I’m sure he’s going to get a rematch. Spin the block. Peace.”

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments about Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev below (11:23):