While Alex Pereira is set to fight in the UFC 313 as an overwhelming favorite, it appears not everyone has the Brazilian’s best interests in mind. Pereira, the current light heavyweight champion, returns in a bitter grudge feud with Magomed Ankalaev in search of his fourth successful defense. But his ex-girlfriend doesn’t believe a Pereira win would be good for the UFC light heavyweight division.
Christine Merle, also the Host of Fightology, was previously engaged in a public feud with the UFC fighter. Following their breakup, Pereira had levelled a host of accusations against her. According to the Brazilian fighting star, Merle lied to him throughout their relationship.
Most notable of these accusations come in the form of Merle’s alleged marriage to someone else during her relationship with Pereira. “Well guys, (Christine) Merle thinks she can manipulate you,” he had said in 2024.
Explaining to his fans that he had been in conversation with her husband for a few days, the UFC champion had claimed that he finally knows what she was capable of, while asserting that he had evidence of being attacked by her.
Merle had also taken to social media to explain that while she was married before, so was Pereira. She had clarified having been separated from her ex before starting a relationship with the UFC star. The broadcaster had also claimed to have been the one to have initiated the breakup.
While this may or may not have been the reason behind Merle’s statement, she tried to sound objective in her views on how she sees Pereira’s next fight going. While she feels her ex is the favorite, it would be better for the overall division if Ankalaev pulls off the win.
“If he (Ankalaev) strikes with Pereira, he will get knocked out,” she said. “Like the rest of the opponents as well. It would be good for the division to have a new champion. Because, obviously, Pereira can get the title back. So it would be good for the division.”, she added.
The Fightology host claims that she saw Ankalaev go to the ground as quickly as possible and keep the fight there, something almost every other expert has also been saying about this fight.
Interestingly, weeks after their breakup, Pereira had made another social media post, claiming that Merle was being a bit creepy trying to talk to him when he didn’t want to.
“This rat won’t leave me alone. Forget me, damn. She does everything to gain followers. Followers through a negative way, for what? People who follow Merle, please stop following me.”, he had said.
While there hasn’t been much of a follow-up to this story, it does bring to mind Pereira’s old foe, Israel Adesanya. Public feuds with their exes are something both legendary fighters have in common.
Pereira and Adesanya turn into good friends from being bitter rivals
After successfully mending his relationship with the Kiwi striker last month at UFC 312, Pereira offered to train with the former middleweight champion. The two might have shared a violent history, but as time has gone on, they have become far more appreciative of each other’s talents.
They do have a lot in common with each other. Both are world-class kickboxers who rose through the ranks in the same promotions in the 2010s before making it big in the UFC. So, they will have a lot to talk about when they train.
And if they run out of things to chat about, they can always discuss their chaotic exes.
Labelling Charlotte Powdrell as “entitled” following their split back in 2020, Adesanya had ripped her apart on social media in the following months.
“Imagine being so f*ckin’ entitled that you think you deserve what a man has worked his whole life for,” Adesanya wrote after Powdrell had asked him to pay him half his money, an amount in the ballpark of $7.5 million.
