"It's gonna be Ankalaev" - Fans react to Alex Pereira being "so happy" after hinting at meeting with UFC in Las Vegas 

Alex Pereira shocked MMA fans by declaring on X that he would not be facing top-ranked light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev in his next bout.

Pereira posted on X:

"It won’t be Ankalaev! 😭"

Two days after his last announcement, 'Poatan' has maintained the suspense with a new video, leaving fight fans to speculate once more about his next opponent. In a video uploaded by Championship Rounds on X, the Brazilian, who seemingly just left a meeting in Las Vegas, says that he has big news incoming. In the 19-second clip, he asks one of his companions if he should reveal what’s coming next and says:

"We are in Las Vegas, heading home now. We were very happy with the meeting. I’m so happy man… Should I tell them or not? We’ll wait a little longer."

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below:

A netizen who believes the current light heavyweight champion will be facing Ankalaev next and has been bluffing the whole time commented on the video:

"It’s gonna be Ankalaev. This mf has been trolling this entire time and yall still haven’t realized it😭"

Meanwhile, a fan speculated:

"Have a feeling it won’t be Magomed and it’s gonna be a fight booked during Ramadan. And they’re gonna run with the narrative Ank ducked"

Another user chimed in and stated:

"Alex is more active than Ankalaev. Stop hating because Alex is 3:1 against Izzy."

Check out more reactions below:

Fan comments courtesy of @ChampRDS’s post on X

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Former UFC champion breaks down potential Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev matchup

Magomed Ankalaev has undoubtedly earned his title shot. However, recent rumors suggest Khamzat Chimaev could take on Alex Pereira next after 'Poatan' stated that his next fight would not be against Ankalaev.

UFC CEO Dana White has previously stated that he wants Chimaev to fight for the title in the U.S. However, with middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis rematching Sean Strickland in Australia next, the unbeaten Chechen fighter's future remains uncertain. With his wrestling pedigree and submission prowess, 'Borz' is a challenging stylistic matchup for Pereira.

Robert Whittaker, who is coming off a loss to Chimaev, believes the surging 185-pounder can beat 'Poatan'. He said on the MMArcade Podcast:

"I saw a rumor that Chimaev might go up and fight Pereira – imagine that… Chimaev [wins] easily – maybe not easily – but Chimaev [wins] though… Unless the heavyweight strength changes his dynamic, Chimaev would get the takedown. He’s good at what he does and that plays into his strengths."

Whittaker added:

“But let’s say hypothetically, Chimaev slows down and gasses a little bit, Pereira won’t, and he can strike in his sleep… He’ll kill Chimaev in the standup, it won’t be like that Usman-Chimaev fight where Usman was out-boxing him, it’d be a slaughter.”

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below: