Moments after tweeting he was contemplating retirement, former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has claimed that his social media account had been hacked.
Earlier today, UFC superstar Alex Pereira signaled that he may be calling it a day, courtesy of a serious dispute with the UFC.
It’s been a difficult year for ‘Poatan’, having come under increasing criticism from fans as well as losing his 205 lbs title to Magomed Ankalaev last month at UFC 313 in an one-sided affair.
His impressive reign came to a halt after three imperious title defenses in 2024, winning him the Fighter of the Year Award. So, news of his probable retirement did come as quite a shock, especially since he is expected to fight for the title in a rematch of UFC 313. However, hours later, the Brazilian has shifted the blame to hackers.
“I’ve received a ton of messages, getting messages from everyone who saw a post from my Twitter,” Pereira said on his Instagram account.
“I didn’t even know about it, I was hacked. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, you guys see. But I was hacked and I’ll resolve it. I don’t even know what’s going on. I have a great relationship with UFC. People like to do bad things. That’s that. Chama,” he added to conclude the speculative drama.
Pereira’s original Tweet
Earlier in the day, the former champion shocked the MMA community while labeling allegations against the UFC, asserting that they had not been fair in conducting business with him.
“I always answered the UFC’s calls, but if they want to play with me, we can do that,” an seemingly annoyed Pereira tweeted, adding that while he had never spoken ill of the promotion, he was profoundly disappointed with the current situation.
“I’ve already had thoughts of not fighting anymore, and after what was just relayed to me this may be the start,” he added, hinting at contract negotiation for his title rematch gone awry.
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) May 7, 2025
Notably, Ankalaev had expressed his desire to defend the light heavyweight title in August, without consideration for the identity of his opponent.
Pereira quickly endeared himself to fans and UFC boss Dana White upon his arrival from kickboxing promotion GLORY in 2021. A deadly striker, Pereira’s fearlessness – marked by a willingness to fight almost anyone within the UFC at a moment’s notice – earned the respect of the fans and industry experts alike.
Just last year, he stepped up to the plate twice on short notice, first against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 and then against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 – a last-minute replacement for the postponed Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler bout.
He closed the year by securing a TKO win against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307, which propelled him to stardom with only a few fights under the promotion’s banner.
However, the Brazilian star has faced much ridicule after his loss at UFC 313, a fight he claims to have been unfairly judged in his opponent’s favor.
Regardless, both Ankalaev and he agreed to a rematch almost immediately after the fight. So Pereira was expected to be in camp training to prove his detractors wrong.
Notably, Ankalaev and Pereira had verbally agreed to a rematch almost immediately after the fight, which went the full distance. However, just weeks prior, Ankalaev publicly reached out to Pereira, asking whether he still wanted his rematch.
“Alex Pereira, do you still like FIGHTING? I have a feeling you are done,” the incumbent had asked on Twitter.
At the time, many fans and industry insiders saw it as merely posturing from the newly crowned champion. But with UFC 315 set for this Saturday, Pereira is sure to be the fighter on everyone’s minds.
