It looks like the injury bug has struck Alex Pereira once more. Fans will recall that the Brazilian revealed he was severely compromised heading into his UFC 313 title defense, competing with both a broken hand and norovirus. Commentator Joe Rogan even mentioned this again during Pereira’s UFC 320 rematch against Magomed Ankalaev. Despite these setbacks, Pereira recovered spectacularly to regain victory light heavyweight title in just 80 secondsone of the fastest and easiest wins of his career.
However, the victory was not without consequences. Moments after the fight, cameras caught Pereira adjusting his toe in the Octagon, indicating another possible injury. Now the Brazilian has officially confirmed that the injury bug has returned.
Alex Pereira is targeting the UFC White House Showdown in June 2026
After becoming a three-time UFC champion, Alex Pereira was seen limping as he left the Octagon, suspecting he may have broken his foot. Unfortunately, those fears have now been confirmed. During a question and answer session in Rio de Janeiro ahead of UFC Rio on October 11, the Brazilian revealed the full extent of his injury.
As reported by MMA Fighting, Pereira said: “I had an X-ray in Las Vegas and an MRI here, and we have a fracture in my foot, but I still don’t know what will happen, or how long it will take for me to recover.”
Alex Pereira on UFC Rio Q&A: X-rays and MRI studies confirm foot is broken, current plan is to fight Jon Jones at the White House.
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) October 10, 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a broken foot typically takes four to six weeks to heal, with recovery potentially taking up to 12 weeks in severe cases. Even after the bone has healed, it can take up to six months before it can handle the physical demands of full training and competition. In the worst case scenario, Pereira could be sidelined until April 2026.
Yet the Brazilian remains optimistic. Despite facing yet another setback, Pereira has set his sights on a return to the UFC White House event on June 14, 2026, as announced by Donald Trump. He also reiterated his desire to move up in weight and eventually face Jon Jones in a blockbuster heavyweight superfight in a conversation with the UFC broadcast team following his title win.
He said: “I think it’s good to focus on this White House [date]it’s something that interests me. I think I’m going to focus on this.”
READ ALSO: Alex Pereira trolls Magomed Ankalaev with visit to Brazilian tire shop after UFC 320
But for now, Pereira is not fixating on a specific opponent. He said: “I don’t know who’s next. I’m focused on this fight.”
The broken foot injury was first mentioned by Pereira himself during the UFC 320 post-fight press conference. The Brazilian admitted that something was wrong during the fight and explained exactly how it happened.
He revealed, “It’s my foot, I’m pretty sure it’s broken. The inward calf kicks worked. I threw a few, and then he changed his stance, and I think I was in the wrong range. And I threw another kick at his lead leg, and it landed on the tip of my foot. I think it’s broken.”
This isn’t the first time Pereira has dealt with injuries in the Octagon. When he knocked out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 with a devastating leg kick, he actually broke his thumb from the impact of the kick on the Czech star’s head. He then shockingly put his thumb back in place right after the fight in the Octagon.
Interestingly enough, Pereira wasn’t the only one battling injuries at UFC 320. His opponent, Magomed Ankalaev, was also far from 100%. After the event, it was revealed that the Dagestani entered the fight with a broken rib, something his manager Ali Abdelaziz had hinted at beforehand.
Reports surfaced on Monday confirming the extent of Ankalaev’s injury. Léo Guimarães, a martial arts journalist, shared a video showing Ankalaev receives rib treatment about 20 days before the fight.
Furthermore, even Daniel Cormier confirmed that Ankalaev was indeed compromised ahead of his title defense. Sources later told MMA Fighting that the Dagestani competitor was barely able to spar ahead of UFC 320, further highlighting how both men entered the Octagon in serious danger.
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