Alex Pereira has hinted at possible retirement, stating he is now afraid to return to competition after what happened to him inside the cage and suggesting he may have already accomplished everything he set out to do. Ian Garry, meanwhile, pledged that when he becomes welterweight champion he will be far more active than Islam Makhachev, who Garry noted fights roughly once a year with his next title defense potentially not coming until July 2027. UFC also launched long-promised AI-generated rankings, which produced notable departures from the traditional media rankings — for example placing Blachowicz 15th at light heavyweight rather than fourth.
Three separate storylines converged in the UFC news cycle on June 23 — a potential farewell from one of the sport's biggest stars, a bold promise from a welterweight contender, and the debut of the promotion's new AI-generated rankings system.
Alex Pereira, the 38-year-old Brazilian light heavyweight champion, sent shockwaves through the MMA community by hinting that retirement may be on the horizon. Fighting out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness, "Poatan" said he is now afraid to return to the cage following his most recent experience inside it, and suggested he may have already accomplished everything he set out to achieve. Pereira carries a 13-4 record and has been one of the division's most devastating finishers, landing an eye-catching 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy across his UFC career.
Ian Garry used the moment to stake his claim at welterweight, pledging that once he captures the title he will defend it far more frequently than current champion Islam Makhachev. The 34-year-old Russian, who holds a 28-1 record and is ranked pound-for-pound, fights out of Eagles MMA and has averaged roughly one title defense per year. Garry pointed specifically to the possibility that Makhachev's next defense may not arrive until July 2027, and promised a markedly busier championship run when his turn comes.
Why it matters
- A Pereira retirement would leave the light heavyweight title vacant and upend the division's landscape overnight.
- Makhachev's activity rate is a growing talking point among welterweight contenders, giving Garry a ready-made promotional angle.
- The UFC's new AI rankings drew immediate scrutiny: Jan Blachowicz, the 43-year-old Polish veteran with a 29-11-2 record currently sitting fifth in the division per verified data, was placed 15th by the algorithm — a significant departure that raises questions about how the system weights recent performance against career history.
