Magomed Ankalaev came out quite frustrated to secure a dominant victory over Aleksandar Rakic. Afterall, he has been waiting for a long time to get his hands on the light heavyweight title. With Alex Pereira unwilling to give the Russian a chance, shots have been fired recently from Team Ankalaev.
Ankalaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently reflected on the chances of his client against ‘Poatan’. “Ankalaev, what he told me, he said, ‘I’m not wrestling with [Pereira]. I’m gonna shw everybody. Izzy can’t even wash my boots in striking. I’m gonna knock Alex Pereira out. Get the respect I’ve deserved for a long time.’ It’s a long task to strike with [Pereira] and knock him out. But I believe Ankalaev can do it,” said Abdelaziz in a recent MMA Junkie interview.
Surely, this is a huge statement to make for Ankalaev. Afterall, we all have seen the extent of damage Pereira can inflict with his striking. Facing off with a fierce striker in Khalil Rountree Jr., the Brazilian worked him up and dominated him thoroughly. Thus, to switch from the natural wrestling style will be a big commitment for Ankalaev to make. However, contrary to the buzz, Pereira himself is still not up for the Ankalaev fight.
Alex Pereira Express His Reluctance Regarding Magomed Ankalaev Fight
Alex Pereira ducking a fight is something that might feel alien. In the past year, ‘Poatan’ came out not once but thrice to defend his belt! Yet, when the question comes to facing Magomed Ankalaev, the Brazilian seems to be reluctant.
In a recent update on X, the UFC light heavyweight champion echoed his negative mindset towards a potential Ankalaev fight. “It won’t be Ankalaev!” said Pereira.
It won’t be Ankalaev ! 😭
— Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) December 19, 2024
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Now, despite the unwillingness, the final decision will always remain at Dana White’s discretion. After all, most UFC fans want a face-off between the two. Thus, it will be interesting to see whether the UFC head honcho will give his approval to the fight in the future.