UFC fighter Alex Pereira has clarified that a cryptic message recently posted on his social media account, which implied he was contemplating retirement from fighting, was in fact the work of a hacker.
The message, which appeared on the X account of the former UFC light heavyweight champion known as “Poatan,” stated that he had “already had thoughts of not fighting anymore.” The post suggested this feeling came after “things I’ve just heard” left him feeling “disheartened” with the UFC organization.
However, just a few hours later, the Brazilian star released a video statement confirming that he did not author the controversial post.
Speaking in Portuguese on his Instagram page, Pereira explained, “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.”
He also emphasized his positive relationship with the promotion, adding, “I have a great relationship with UFC. People like to do bad things. That’s that.”
Pereira’s last fight was in March when he lost his 205-pound title to Magomed Ankalaev, marking his first defeat since moving up to the light heavyweight division. A former UFC champion in two different weight classes, “Poatan” has publicly expressed his desire for a rematch against Ankalaev, a sentiment that the Russian champion reportedly shares.
