Alex Pereira will not fight again in 2025.
“Poatan” is in Brazil for UFC Rio and hosted a fan Q&A prior to the weigh-in ceremonies. In the immediate aftermath of his UFC 320 victory over Magomed Ankalaev
(watch here), Pereira mentioned a possible broken foot. Following up in response to a fan question, Ankalaev revealed that MRI and X-Ray imaging confirmed that his foot is broken, sidelining Pereira until 2026 (h/t Guilherme Cruz). Per Pereira, the target remains Jon Jones at the UFC White House event, in which case, Pereira is out until June 2026.
Though normal for many UFC champions, it would be an unusually long layoff for Pereira. The kickboxing ace grew his legacy and star by fighting so quickly, but injuries and illness appear to have cost him badly in the first “Big Ank” fight. Now, the Pereira focus seems to be on recovering fully between his title fights, which is likely a wise choice for the 38-year-old champion.
As for the broken foot, that’s a consequence of kicking so damn hard. Pereira has a history of toe and foot injuries, and it’s not likely to change while “Poatan” is attacking the calf so violently. Even in his short rematch versus Ankalaev, a handful of calf kicks hurt the Russian and saw him shift stances shortly before the overhand landed and began the finishing sequence.
Very often, kicks are a double-edged sword, and now Pereira will deal with the negatives of his incredible power.
