Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira was sitting cageside for last night’s insane throwdown between former light heavyweight title rivals Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill.
The Czech Samurai emerged victorious from that UFC 311 grudge match, with Prochazka scoring a fabulous third-round knockout to make it two wins from two since his viral loss to the stone-faced champion last June.
Despite those two back-to-back losses, Jiri Prochazka exclaimed to the LA crowd “F*** man – I want a third fight with Alex Pereira,” and it didn’t take long for the popular Brazilian to respond.
Alex Pereira reacts to Jiri Prochazka’s post-UFC 311 KO callout
During the UFC 311 broadcast, just before Jiri Prochazka left Hill in a bloodied mess, it was announced that Alex Pereira is set to fight Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313.
Speaking via ESPN MMA after the PPV event concluded, Pereira would state that the door remains firmly open to a potential trilogy fight with ‘BJP’ – provided, of course, that he gets through Ankalaev in March.
“I’m ready to fight anybody, it doesn’t matter who it is – right now, it’s Ankalaev’s time and I’m going to fight Ankalaev but after this fight, if everything goes good, we’re going to give Jiri this opportunity.”
UFC CEO Dana White also sounded open to the idea of a trilogy bout between the two popular strikers, although he also noted that the promotion will ‘wait and see’ what happens first on March 8.
“I don’t know, we’ve got to see how it will play out with Alex now, I doubt [that] people don’t want to see this fight again, so we’ll see how it plays out.”
Prochazka and Pereira exchanged brief hello’s backstage at UFC 311, granted, the Brazilian was also filmed trolling both BJP and Jamahal Hill during their bout a few hours earlier.
“Hey kids, stop fighting,” Pereira was caught yelling from cageside, “[Or] I’m going to have to use my belt!”
Alex Pereira trolling Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill during their fight 😭😭
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 19, 2025
“Hey kids, stop fighting! I’m gonna have to use my belt!
🎥 @AgFight #UFC311 #UFC #MMA
pic.twitter.com/BsmhuOVgOm
Alex Pereira says he specifically asked for Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313
Pereira faces Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313 and will be looking to silence the Russian once and for all, after he’d repeatedly accused ‘Poatan’ of ducking his title challenge.
The Brazilian was keen to remind fans that he’s the champion for a reason, and that accolade gives him the power to pick and choose, when and where he competes next.
“Well, I did say that I wanted to take a break, but I started training again, I started feeling good and started seeing my evolutions, so I call my managers right away and said that I want to fight March [against] Ankalaev.
“I know that he keeps saying that I’m just an employee of the UFC and I fight whenever they want, but I asked for him and I told him when I want to fight.”
So, what does Pereira think of the matchup, now that both men have signed the dotted line?
“He’s as dangerous as any other opponent I’ve fought, looking at him and the way that he fights, he’s an ordinary guy – of course, he has weapons and is dangerous – but I’ve been training hard, I’ve evolved a lot, and I’m ready for him.”