It turns out Alex Pereira did hit “send” on that cryptic tweet that turned heads earlier this year.
Back in May, Pereira sent fight fans into a tizzy when a post from his X account indicated there was tension between him and the UFC over an unspecified issue.
“I’ve never spoken poorly of the UFC but with what I’ve just heard I’m disheartened,” the tweet read on May 7. “I’ve already had thoughts of not fighting anymore, and after what was just relayed to me this may be the start.”
At the time, there were rumblings that Pereira, who lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev on March 8 at UFC 313, might not receive an immediate rematch, and it stood to reason that was the source of Pereira’s tweet. But after it immediately went viral with almost 2 million views in two hours, Pereira quickly followed up with an Instagram video in which he claimed his X account was hacked.
Now, some four months later, Pereira admits that wasn’t true.
“A little bit was miscommunication, because Alex found out through social media and stuff like that,” Pereira’s coach, Plinio Cruz, said on Pereira’s behalf during a Wednesday appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “He was upset. That’s why he sent the (tweet), but he regretted it. He was wrong because he didn’t know talks that were going on, things that were going on, so it was kind of a miscommunication between camp, manager and the UFC – not the UFC’s fault.”
In 2024, Pereira stepped up for the UFC and saved multiple pay-per-view events on short notice, including UFC 300 when the promotion couldn’t land a suitable headliner and UFC 303 just two months later when Conor McGregor withdrew from his scheduled fight with Michael Chandler. Pereira’s frustration, which led to the tweet hinting at retirement, was the result of a “lack of communication,” according to Cruz.
“It was a little bit impulsive from him,” Cruz said on Pereira’s behalf. “He acted a little early because he didn’t talk to our manager or find out from Hunter (Campbell). He saw the internet stuff, and he felt a little bit hurt because he was promised the next title shot, and he sees that, instead of just having a more mutual communication between camp, Hunter, and everything. So, yes, 100 percent, it’s all straight up now.”
As a result, Pereira will get his immediate rematch with Ankalaev in short time as the two are set to headline UFC 320 on Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, site of their first encounter.
