"He could barely walk" - Mauricio Ruffy says Alex Pereira carried brutal injury in first Magomed Ankalaev clash

UFC fighter claims Alex Pereira (left) fought Magomed Ankalaev (right) with injury. [Images courtesy: Getty]
UFC fighter claims Alex Pereira (left) fought Magomed Ankalaev (right) with injury. [Images courtesy: Getty]

Brazilian prospect Mauricio Ruffy claims that Alex Pereira fought his first bout against Magomed Ankalaev with a fractured shin. The two trained together in Brazil before Pereira’s rematch. They shared sessions between the Fighting Nerds camp and Pereira’s gym.

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According to Ruffy, Pereira’s leg injury in his March title defense limited his movement and power. In an interview with Laerte Viana, he said:

"Alex didn’t, but now that everything’s over, I can say it. He was fighting with a cracked shin in the first fight. His shin was so injured, he could barely walk. He lost but he still went out there and fought. Then he came out in the rematch and showed his level.”
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Check out Alex Pereira's comments below:

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At UFC 320 on Oct. 4, Pereira came out firing. He walked Ankalaev down, cutting the cage with vigor and landing heavy kicks before connecting with a looping right hand that sent the Russian crashing to the mat.

The fight ended just 80 seconds into the opening round, with Pereira regaining the light heavyweight title and snapping Ankalaev’s long unbeaten run. 'Poatan' appeared at the post-fight interview in a protective boot, suggesting another leg injury from one of his kicks during the bout.

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His camp hinted at a possible move to heavyweight, though UFC CEO Dana White doesn't seem to keen to orchestrate the plan.


Joe Rogan claims Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira could be the biggest fight in "human history"

Joe Rogan believes a clash between Jon Jones and Alex Pereira would transcend the sport. The UFC commentator called for the matchup to headline the rumored UFC White House card in June 2026. Jones, now back in the testing pool after retiring earlier this year, has hinted at interest in the event.

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Rogan suggested a 225-pound catchweight bout with a symbolic BMF title on the line. On episode #2396 of The Joe Rogan Experience, he said:

"The big money fight is Alex and Jon Jones at the White House… Catchweight, make it 225 [pounds]. It doesn’t have to be for a title. Make it bad motherf*cker upper edition... The Jon Jones-Alex Pereira fight would probably be the biggest fight in human history… As a matchup, you got the greatest of all time in Jon Jones. And arguably the most destructive striker that has ever competed: ‘Poatan'.”

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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