"Respect now, chaos later" - MMA world erupts as Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka cross paths at Rizin event 

Alex Pereira made his return to the octagon in March as he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, losing the light heavyweight title in the process. 'Poatan' was on hand at Rizin: Otoko Matsuri at the Tokyo Dome in Japan over the weekend, where he ran into former opponent Jiri Prochazka.

Championship Rounds shared footage of the two former champions shaking hands to X on Wednesday, captioning the post:

"Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka crossed paths at the Rizin event this past weekend 🤝 🎥 @RIZINTV_ #UFC #MMA"

Check out the X post from Championship Rounds below:

Fans shared their reaction to the two crossing paths, with @BonusManiac suggesting the two should clash again:

"Respect now, chaos later? Pereira vs Jiri [III] would break the internet!"

@MrOverprayed predicted that Prochazka would emerge victorious after losing via second-round knockout twice:

"Third times the charm Jiri via white magic"

@Nowaaymma hopes to see one of the two reclaim the light heavyweight title:

"If Alex doesn't get his belt back, I would be happy to see Jiri as champion again!"

@JonWique2020 claimed the two were unable to talk as Pereira's coach and translator Plinio Cruz was not present:

"Plinio is not near. So no conversation"

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

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Alex Pereira reveals his X was hacked following a post hinting at retirement

A post appeared on Alex Pereira's X profile on Wednesday, hinting that the former middle and light heavyweight champion's negotiations with the UFC were not going well and that he could retire. The post read:

"I always answered the UFC’s calls, but if they want to play with me, we can do that. I’ve never spoken poorly of the UFC but with what I’ve just heard I’m disheartened. I’ve already had thoughts of not fighting anymore, and after what was just relayed to me this may be the start."

While he appeared to be frustrated with the promotion, 'Poatan' later revealed that his profile was hacked and that he has a great relationship with the company. He took to Instagram, saying:

"Well everyone, I've received a ton of messages, getting messages from everyone who saw a post from my Twitter. 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."

Check out Alex Pereira's initial X post and his comments that he was hacked below:

While fans initially believed that the soon-to-be 38-year-old would be walking away from the sport, it appears that is not the case. Pereira has been in talks to face Magomed Ankalaev in a rematch of his UFC 313 loss.