Robert Whittaker doesn’t think Alex Pereira was at his best against Magomed Ankalaev.
Last month, the light heavyweight title was on the line in the UFC 313 headliner between champ Pereira and top contender Ankalaev. Over the course of five rounds, Ankalaev outworked Pereira on the feet, keeping him at bay in the clinch and with the threat of the takedown.
A proven knockout artist, Alex Pereira looked gun-shy across 25 minutes, not living up to his full potential against Ankalaev in the striking exchanges.
Post-fight, after Joe Rogan had claimed he broke his hand and had norovirus prior, Pereira admitted he wasn’t 100% healthy but didn’t disclose the extent of his issues that could’ve prevented him from fighting Ankalaev.
Robert Whittaker thinks ‘very real’ problems held back Alex Pereira
With the lack of top contenders in the light heavyweight division and Alex Pereira arguably the biggest draw in the UFC today, all signs seem to suggest a rematch with Ankalaev is next.
If it is, former UFC Middleweight Champion Whittaker thinks we get an reinvigorated ‘Poatan’.
“His excuses are very real and everybody has pried these out of him,” Whittaker said of Pereira on the MMArcade Podcast.
“So maybe the next fight will be markedly different.
“There’s been heaps of times that I fought with legitimate excuses to why X, Y, and zed happened in said fight. It’s such a hard tricky position because like, you don’t wanna talk about it, but it’s a really legitimate excuse.”
Robert Whittaker says fighters’ excuses make you look ‘salty’
It’s always difficult to determine what percentage a fighter is at when they get into the Octagon following the hardships of training camp, the wear-and-tear the body may have on fight night.
Things weren’t any easier for Magomed Ankalaev, a practicing Muslim who fought during Ramadan.
Pereira was faced with a number of problems for his last successful title defense against Khalil Rountree Jr, having to get through rounds of antibiotics, an injured rib and an injured toe ligament, he revealed after the win, making the feat that much greater.
“There are plenty of times fighters fight with legitimate excuses,” Whittaker explained.
“You can’t say them [if you lose] though because you because you look salty…”