It has been more than two years since Alex Pereira made his light heavyweight debut at UFC 291 against Jan Blachowicz. In the 24 months that followed, the Brazilian superstar went on an incredible run, capturing the 205 lbs title and defending it three times against top names like Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka. Most recently, ‘Poatan’ reclaimed the belt he briefly lost by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in just 80 seconds at UFC 320.
His dominant streak, marked by multiple short-notice appearances, even earned praise from Dana White for his anytime, anywhere attitude. That’s why fans were surprised when Joaquin Buckley recently claimed that Pereira once refused to fight him back when both competed at middleweight. Now, Pereira has addressed the situation himself, sharing his side of the story in a candid social media post.
Alex Pereira Shares 2022 Messages Claiming Joaquin Buckley Was the One Who Ducked Him
For those unfamiliar, Buckley claimed he was offered a chance to fight Pereira during the Brazilian’s early rise to middleweight fame in 2022, before his two iconic bouts with Israel Adesanya.
According to ‘New Mansa’, after his original opponent withdrew on short notice, his then-manager called him with an opportunity to step in and face the future two-division champion. Buckley insists he was ready and eager to accept the fight, even confident he could knock Pereira out.
He said in a YouTube video, “He (Alex Pereira) wasn’t able to take the fight because they said they wouldn’t be ready in time. I was planning on knocking that man out.”
However, it’s safe to say Pereira didn’t take those comments lightly. In a recent Instagram story, the Brazilian appeared to respond by sharing a screenshot of a 2022 direct message on the exchange between the two.
“Why did you send me this post?” Pereira began. “Of the 15 [fighters] that ran, you were the first!! Now go back to the end of the line.”
Alex Pereira shares old messages with Joaquin Buckley after Buckley claimed he turned down a fight against him back in 2022:
“Of the 15 that ran, you were the first! Now go back to the end of the line.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/kVWSGwblrd
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 29, 2025
The post quickly caught fans’ attention, reigniting debate over whether the fight offer truly happened, and whether Buckley was ever really next in line for ‘Poatan’. For those unfamiliar, Buckley began his UFC career at middleweight (185 lbs) in 2020, debuting with a knockout loss to Kevin Holland.
Over the next two years, he went 5-4 in the division, suffering defeats to fighters like Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis. His career took a major turn, however, when he decided to move down to welterweight. Buckley made an instant impact, scoring a spectacular knockout win over Andre Fialho in his divisional debut in May 2023.
ALSO READ: Alex Pereira Sidelined by Broken Foot After UFC 320 Title Triumph
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From there, he went on an impressive six-fight winning streak, earning victories over top names such as Colby Covington, Vicente Luque, and Stephen Thompson. His momentum was halted earlier this year, though, when he suffered a setback against Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta in June.
Similarly, Pereira also started his Octagon journey at middleweight in 2021, where he rapidly climbed the ranks and captured the middleweight title by defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281. After losing the rematch at UFC 287, Pereira moved up to 205 lbs and has been dominant ever since, cementing himself as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
Most recently, Pereira made headlines once again after agreeing to a blockbuster heavyweight showdown with Jon Jones at the UFC White House event scheduled for June 2026.
