Henry Cejudo thinks former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira let outside distractions get the best of him.
Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 313 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Many questioned Pereira for traveling to Sydney, Australia just one month ahead of his title defense. Cejudo thinks the media obligations, sponsorships and other involvements have negatively impacted “Poatan.”
“I think Alex Pereira’s lifestyle is finally kind of catching up to him,” Cejudo said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman. “The travel, the ‘Chama,’ a lot of the skit, and a lot of stuff that he’s actually doing, it’s really not doing him any service. The only reason why I say this is because his body looked a little different, dude.
“He looked a little pudgier, he looked a little thicker in the face going in. We have to credit Magomed Ankalaev. He did a really good job of his composure, bro. He didn’t react to a lot of Pereira’s things. The dude has his hands up the whole damn time and not just that, but Alex Pereira also has trouble with southpaws.”
It appears Pereira will get an opportunity to reclaim his title after UFC CEO Dana White said an immediate rematch with Ankalaev is likely what will happen next.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.
