The MMA community was caught off guard recently when a tweet from Alex Pereira’s official account sparked concern. The post implied that the former two-division UFC champion was upset about not receiving a rematch and was even contemplating retirement. However, Pereira later clarified in a video that he hadn’t posted the tweet and was unaware of the situation—his account had been hacked.
“I didn’t even know about it,” Pereira said. “I was hacked, and I’ll resolve it. I didn’t even know what was going on. I have a great relationship with the UFC. People like to do bad things, that’s that.” He ended the video with his trademark “Chama.”
The only thing was hacked. It’s Alex’s brain. He’s not a champion anymore. I’m waiting for you. Don’t worry.
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) May 8, 2025
It didn’t take long for his rival, Magomed Ankalaev, to jump into the situation. Ankalaev jokingly took credit for the hack, tweeting, “It was me I hacked his account. Don’t worry, Alex. I’m waiting for you.” He continued to taunt Pereira by saying the real thing that was “hacked” was Pereira’s mind, suggesting he had mentally unraveled since losing the title. “The only thing was hacked. It’s Alex’s brain. He’s not a champion anymore. I’m waiting for you. Don’t worry,” Ankalaev added.
Despite the teasing, the matchup between the two appears to be close to being finalized. While no date has been confirmed, there’s speculation that it could happen at UFC 317. Pereira previously stated after his UFC 313 loss that he was physically ready and eager to return to the Octagon, saying, “I feel good. I don’t think I’m hurt.”
However, there are rising questions about Pereira’s current mindset. Is he truly feeling the pressure post-defeat, or is Ankalaev just trying to mess with him ahead of a possible rematch?
Adding to the conversation, Brazilian fighter Renato Moicano has pointed to a noticeable drop in Pereira’s online popularity since his title loss. On his podcast, Moicano mentioned that Pereira’s YouTube channel saw a sharp decline in views shortly after the defeat. “Before the fight against Ankalaev, he was getting huge numbers. Now, it’s way down,” Moicano explained. “People love a champion. The numbers don’t lie.”
This shift in momentum could add further importance to a rematch. Not only could it give Pereira a shot at redemption in the cage, but it might also help him regain his fanbase and online presence. After all, Pereira was recently honored by Bruce Buffer as “The One, The Only”—a sign of his star status.
As fans await an official announcement from the UFC, the big question remains: Can Alex Pereira bounce back and reclaim his title, or is Magomed Ankalaev ready to close the chapter for good?