Alex Pereira has taken yet another dig at Magomed Ankalaev. Ever since Pereira’s spectacular KO victory against Jiri Prochazka, ‘Poatan’ has been rumored to face Ankalaev. However, in a surprising turn of events, Dana White announced Khalil Rountree Jr. as Pereira’s next opponent. Such information took the entire fighting realm by surprise.
Fans and experts alike quickly came out bashing the fight while Ankalaev was given Aleksandar Rakic to deal with. With hours left for their fight in UFC 308, Alex Pereira had a special prediction for his probable next opponent. Taking to his Instagram, ‘Poatan’ mentioned that he wanted Ankalaev to win. However, Pereira then changed his mind to say that it was an impossible scenario.
Pereira said, “I wanted Ankalaev to win so he could wait a little longer, but I can’t see him beating Rakic.” This was indeed a bold statement from the UFC light heavyweight champion. Such a remark might as well play on the back of Ankalev’s mind. However, previously, while the backlash towards Dana White was building, Ankalaev remained unfazed. The Russian fighter stated that he was okay fighting anyone that the UFC asked him to.
The Russian further claimed that after he beat Rakic, he would be waiting for Pereira if he was still the champion. And as a matter of fact, Pereira is not only a champion but is a dominant one, to say the least. Defending his title thrice this year, ‘Poatan’ faced a stern threat from Khalil Rountree Jr. However, despite his striking prowess impressing the crowd, Pereira had a fairly easy victory. Now, speaking about the duo, this was not the first instance when they had a fallout on the internet.
Magomed Ankalaev Vowed To ‘Beat’ Alex Pereira
The Pereira vs. Ankalaev saga has been going on for quite some months now. Back in July, Magomed Ankalaev spoke to Aslanbek Badaev. Making a bold claim, Ankalaev stated that Poatan won’t be able to touch him when the duo lock horns in the future.
He said, “Many experts understand that I can easily beat Pereira. I think with his speed, he won’t touch me at all. The most he can do is hit me with a low kick. I want to beat him up. I just want to attack him, just show him that I’m better than him.”
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Meanwhile, such a statement did not sit well with the champion. Pereira quickly took to YouTube to state that he was evolving as a fighter. Taking a sly dig at his Russian counterpart, Pereira accused him of trying to belittle him. Thus, with the matchups getting interesting, it will surely be a spectacle to watch once the two arch-rivals start trading blows inside the octagon.
Also Read: Alex Pereira Cracks Down On Jamahal Hill After Disrespectful Comments At UFC 307
