Mar 8, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) prepares to fight Magomed Ankalaev (not pictured) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Alex Pereira Laughs Off UFC 321 Main Event Disastrous Outcome, Sends Cryptic Message To Jon Jones

Mar 8, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) prepares to fight Magomed Ankalaev (not pictured) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The main event of UFC 321 between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in absolute disaster Saturday night. Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in the eye at 4:35 of round one, forcing a no contest ruling. The heavyweight title remained with Aspinall, but nobody got the definitive answer they wanted to see.

Fighters, fans, and analysts quickly mourned the loss of what could have been memorable. But one prominent name watched the chaos unfold with a completely different reaction than everyone else. Alex Pereira clearly saw opportunity in the heavyweight division’s misfortune and confusion. The disastrous ending only strengthened his belief that the heavyweight division desperately needs him right now.

Alex Pereira’s Instagram Post Mocks The Heavyweight Division

Alex Pereira posted a reaction video on Instagram that showed him laughing at the unfortunate ending. The Brazilian champion couldn’t contain his amusement watching two elite heavyweights unable to complete their fight. His caption accompanied the video with emojis that told a clear story about his intentions.

“Let’s Make the heavyweight Division Great Again!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira)

He used two emojis in his caption. The stone emoji represents his nickname “Poatan” which means stone hand in Tupi language. The bone emoji obviously references Jon Jones and his ‘Bones’ nickname throughout his legendary career. The house emoji suggests he plans to make himself at home in the heavyweight division soon.

Pereira’s message wasn’t subtle whatsoever about who he wants to fight next at heavyweight. He’s been calling for a superfight with Jon Jones ever since beating Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. Jones vacated the heavyweight title earlier this year, opening the door for Aspinall to claim undisputed status. But Jones remains the consensus greatest fighter of all time despite retiring from active competition. A fight between Pereira and Jones would break pay-per-view records and generate massive mainstream interest.

The no contest at UFC 321 leaves the heavyweight division in awkward limbo. Aspinall and Gane will almost certainly run back their fight, but that rematch won’t happen until early 2026 at the absolute earliest. The division essentially sits frozen while waiting for a conclusion that should have happened Saturday. Pereira has already captured titles at middleweight and light heavyweight during his remarkable UFC run. Adding a third championship would cement his legacy as one of the greatest ever.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Ciryl Gane

Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall

UFC 321

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!