Jon Anik drops eye-opening hint at how Alex Pereira's loss can lead to a dream Dricus du Plessis fight that Khamzat Chimaev may have an objection with

UFC commentator Jon Anik has shared his insight on Alex Pereira’s future following his loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Ankalaev secured the UFC light heavyweight title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Pereira.

While Pereira displayed solid takedown defense, Ankalaev’s wrestling and pressure proved too much. This marked Ankalaev’s first UFC title win in his second attempt.

With his light heavyweight reign cut short, Pereira’s next move remains uncertain. However, Anik believes 'Poatan' could return to the middleweight division. Speaking on an MMA Fighting preview show, Anik suggested:

“The one thing that I will say, Alex Pereira can still make middleweight, and he wants to fight Dricus du Plessis. He did not defend the UFC middleweight championship. Of all the accolades for the future UFC Hall of Famer Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira, he never defended the middleweight championship, and if you think for a second that he doesn’t have an appetite, no pun intended, to go back down to 185 [pound], you’re absolutely crazy."

Anik also noted that Pereira may not be inclined to remain at 205 pounds unless a high-profile fight materializes. He speculated that if heavyweight options like Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall don’t align, a return to middleweight is likely.

However, Khamzat Chimaev could stand in the way, as he remains a top contender in the division. Speaking of 'Borz’, Anik said:

“Now, Khamzat Chimaev is going to have a say in all of that, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that it’s middleweight, right? Because he is that disciplined, and even this week, when he was asked about it, the first name on the tip of his tongue is not Jon Jones, it’s Dricus du Plessis.”

Check out Jon Anik's comments below (9:13):

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Tom Aspinall shared his take on Alex Pereira's title loss to Magomed Ankalaev

Tom Aspinall shared his thoughts on Alex Pereira's defeat to Magomed Ankalaev, stating he had Ankalaev winning decisively. Aspinall said:

I'm not a judge, so I'll put that on record, but I think three rounds to two Ankalaev comfortably, comfortable win. Maybe four rounds to one even Ankalaev. I think Pereira maybe took the first. Definitely 48-47 to Ankalaev... He's got it, Ankalaev's got it."

He noted that Pereira likely won the first round but saw Ankalaev as the clear victor. Aspinall also pointed out Dana White’s apparent disappointment, adding:

"Dana White looking not very happy there if I do say so myself. Uncle Dana does not look too happy. Alex Pereira certainly doesn't look too happy."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below: