In the aftermath of UFC bouts, fighters often disclose injuries sustained during training or the fight itself, aiming to provide context to their performances. While some fans appreciate the transparency, others perceive these admissions as excuses, potentially undermining the opponent's victory. The debate often comes down to timing—if injuries are mentioned too late, they’re seen as excuses rather than explanations. Ultimately, fans’ reactions depend on whether they view the fighter as honest or simply trying to save face.
In a candid interview on "The Ariel Helwani Show," former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira responded to allegations of cheating in the cage, disclosed that he entered his title defense against Magomed Ankalaev with a broken hand, and called for an immediate rematch to reclaim his light heavyweight belt. While the revelation of Pereira’s injury provided insight into the challenges he faced leading up to and during the bout, many fans took issue with his admission.
Pereira explained that the injury significantly impacted his training camp and performance. He stated, "I don't want to make excuses. This was one of the more complicated fight camps that has ever happened."
MMA fans took to social media to criticize the revelation, with many believing his admission is an excuse for a lackluster performance.
“Breaking news: Alex reveals his excuses for the first time on Ariel Helwani.”
“When was the last time Alex fought without being injured or sick?”
“Shameless sore loser, he doesn't even deserve a rematch.”
“Alex is a liar lol”
“Oh no fragile boy hurt his hand.”
“Love Poatan but come on this is an excuse”
During the fight, Ankalaev effectively neutralized Pereira's knockout capabilities, leading to a closely contested unanimous decision victory and crowning him the new Light Heavyweight Champion. Upon rewatching the fight, Pereira believes he won the first, third, and fifth rounds.
UFC President Dana White had a differing opinion, expressing his views on the results during the UFC 313 press conference and believing Ankalaev had won fair and square.
During the interview, Pereira also responded to Ankalaev’s coach Sukhrab Magomedov accusing him of greasing, saying, “For me, that's him trying to make an excuse to justify the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but the guy got stuffed for 12 of his takedown attempts. You didn't do what you're supposed to do, and now you're trying to make excuses to justify that."
The former champion wants a rematch with Ankalaev in August, saying to Helwani, “I feel like an immediate rematch is right after everything that I've done for this division in the UFC.”
Ultimately, whether Pereira gets his desired rematch may depend less on his injury and more on whether the UFC—and the fans—deem his argument credible.
