Alex Pereira has staunchly denied claims from Magomed Ankalaev’s camp that he was ‘greasing’ during their light-heavyweight title clash at UFC 313.
Ankalaev, 32, put on a clinic to unanimously outpoint Pereira and strip the Brazilian of his belt in March.
However, the fight did not necessarily play out as expected, with the more grappling-heavy Ankalaev outstriking kickboxing icon Pereira while failing with all of his 12 takedown attempts.
Ankalaev’s coach believed this could have been down to greasing – a trick that involves fighters coating themselves in a substance to make them more slippery and harder to hold.
But speaking to Ariel Helwani, Pereira has rejected the notion that he greased in their Las Vegas headliner, branding the claims as an attempt to preserve Ankalaev’s elite-wrestling mystique.
“Absolutely did not put anything on my body,” Pereira told The Ariel Helwani Show.
“Sounds to me like [Ankalaev’s coach is] trying to make an excuse to justify the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but the guy got stuffed on 12 takedowns.
“You mess up and you try to make excuses to justify that. You should ask the coach if we put Vaseline on the mat as well?
“Is that why Ankalaev fell on his back? Because he got taken down.”
Defeat to Ankalaev was only the second time Pereira, 37, left the cage without getting his hand raised in the UFC, ending a five-match winning streak which saw him establish himself as a feared knockout artist at 205lbs.
Pereira had developed into the marquee superstar of the promotion despite his limited English, captivating audiences with his entertaining fight style and devastating power that led him to become a two-divisional UFC champion.
After sleeping Jiri Prochazka to claim the vacant light heavyweight belt in November 2023, Pereira recorded three successful title defences – all via TKO – as he stopped Prochazka again, between wins over Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr.
But after dropping his title to Ankalaev, Pereira is keen to bounce back immediately and expects a rematch with the Russian fighter next.
“Nothing got to me yet [in terms of a contract], but August is a good date,” Pereira said. “As soon as the contract gets in, I’m signing.
“It doesn’t have to be a knockout [in our rematch], but I feel that I have enough game to do whatever I want with this guy.”
