UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Alex Pereira suffered a critical foot harm when he gained the dominant first-round TKO at UFC 320 at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas on Saturday evening.
Pereira regained a light-weight heavyweight title in an epic type, with a proper hand, floor and pound strike adopted, stopping Ankaraev in 20 seconds of the opening spherical. The victory marked Pereira’s return to the highest after dropping his belt to Ankaraev by unanimous choice in March 2025.
Did Alex Pereira break his toe within the UFC 320 essential occasion?
However the victory was a sacrificed. Shortly after Decide Herb Dean stopped the struggle, the digicam caught Pereira and grabbed her toe, attempting to regulate her foot place. The Brazilian champion was later discovered behind the scenes carrying strolling boots, elevating issues in regards to the severity of his accidents.
At a postwar press convention, White spoke to the harm with out turning his phrases over. “He is positively both dislocated or damaged his toes or one thing. I do not know the reality, however I’ve seen what you all noticed.
Pereira herself offered particulars of the harm throughout a media interview after his victory. Talking by an interpreter, the brand new champion defined how the harm occurred throughout a strategic assault on Ankaraev’s ft. “It is my ft and I am certain it is damaged,” Pereira mentioned. There was plan impressed by what Jan Blachowicz did. The interior calf kick was working. I threw a few of them and he switched stance, which put me within the improper place. I attempted one other kick on his lead leg, however it hit the tip of my leg and I believe it is damaged. ”
The harm represents a sample of concern for Pereira, who beforehand handled related foot points. In a rematch with Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in June 2024, Pereira dislocated his toe after touchdown a head kick that knocked out his opponent. Previous to the UFC 300 in April 2024, Pereira revealed that one throughout coaching camp had damaged bones throughout his struggle with Jamahar Hill, however nonetheless managed to win the primary spherical knockout.
Medical consultants word that human ft comprise 26 bones, and Pereira might face a restoration interval of 6-12 weeks, relying on the likelihood {that a} specific bone has been fractured. This timeline might delay his subsequent struggle and have an effect on his plans, displaying curiosity in dealing with John Jones on the proposed UFC White Home card in 2026.
It provides one other chapter to Pereira’s fame as combating by critical bodily sickness. His supervisor, Jorge Guimares, mentioned Pereira’s entry into wounded battles has grow to be a daily prevalence, and Brazilians hardly ever complain about his situation. Earlier than his defeat to Ankaraev in March, Pereira handled a number of accidents, together with a stress fracture in his tibia, and whereas in Australia he received sick and wanted antibiotics inside two weeks of the struggle.
Regardless of his leg harm, Pereira’s efficiency on the UFC 320 confirmed why he stays one of the feared strikers in blended martial arts. This victory made him the third fighter in UFC historical past, profitable gentle heavyweight titles a number of instances, becoming a member of John Jones and Chuck Riddell in that unique group. The Brazilian’s potential to make sure such a dominant end whereas probably combating by damaged ft solely provides to his rising legend as one of many hardest rivals within the sport.
Additional medical check-ups will decide the precise extent of Pereira’s foot harm and set up a timeline for him to return to the competitors. For now, the newly topped champion will concentrate on restoration, excited about his subsequent transfer.
