Alex Pereira Denies Cheating Amid UFC 313 Controversy

Alex Pereira has denied allegations from Magomed Ankalaev's camp that he used a greasy substance during their UFC 313 fight, which resulted in Pereira losing his light heavyweight title. Pereira successfully defended all 12 of Ankalaev's takedown attempts but faced criticism for his striking approach during the bout, which some believed affected his performance. In interviews, Pereira attributed his defensive strategy to a hand injury and norovirus prior to the fight but dismissed the need to blame external factors for his loss. Ankalaev's coach accused Pereira of greasing as an excuse for the defeat, which Pereira refuted, arguing that it was an attempt to justify their training failures. Following the fight, both fighters are expected to face each other again, with a rematch anticipated later this year. Pereira expressed confidence in his ability to adapt his strategy in a potential second encounter with Ankalaev.