UFC 313 Drama: Magomed Ankalaev Shades Alex Pereira with Stunning Personal Remark!

You won’t often hear Magomed Ankalaev talking trash before a fight. He usually keeps it cool and focused. For example, when he fought Thiago Santos in 2022, he didn’t pay much attention to Santos’ warnings about his knockout power. On fight night, Ankalaev took Santos’ best shots and systematically wore him down to win over five rounds. But now, with his upcoming fight against Alex Pereira, we’re seeing a different side of him. In January, Ankalaev tweeted about Pereira’s struggles with alcohol and said he signed his “death certificate.” It looks like the reserved fighter is ready to play mind games.

During the UFC 313 pre-fight press conference, the fans cheered for Pereira, chanting ‘Chama’ as he took the stage. Meanwhile, Ankalaev faced a chorus of boos. Despite being on an impressive unbeaten streak with only one draw against Jan Błachowicz in several fights, Ankalaev has been waiting for his title shot longer than expected. The UFC has been focused on promoting Pereira, and injuries to Pereira slowed things down. This delay seems to have pushed Ankalaev to adopt a more aggressive approach, including trash talk.

At the press conference, a reporter posed an interesting question to Ankalaev: “If you dominate Alex in this fight, will you send him back to the tire shop?” This question stirred something in Pereira, who tensed in his seat. Ankalaev fired back, confident in his abilities: “We plan to dominate him. Whether he stays in the sport or ends up back at the tire shop is up to him.”

This was a sensitive subject for Pereira, who had worked in a tire shop during his tough upbringing in Brazil. He had to leave school at 12 and walked 40 minutes to earn a meager wage. When fans discovered photos of him working there, Pereira shared that he loved those days, as they shaped his strong work ethic. He credited his time in the tire shop for teaching him discipline. However, it was also during this time that he struggled with alcoholism until he found kickboxing, eventually becoming a Glory champion and a UFC titleholder.

Ankalaev has been vocal about how he thinks he can defeat Pereira. In a past tweet, he said, “You’ve just signed your death certificate.” He also suggested that Pereira attends UFC events more for the free alcohol than for the fighting. Ankalaev has always believed he could best Pereira, but delays kept pushing the fight back. With the bout finally set, Ankalaev seems eager to get into Pereira’s head.

Recently, Ankalaev won against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308. He has been unbeaten since March 2018, with a streak of 13 fights, including a draw and a no-contest. Pereira, on the other hand, defended his title against Khalil Rountree Jr. and is on a five-fight winning streak.

Despite the boos from fans, Ankalaev remained unfazed, boldly claiming, “They’re chanting for Chama, but after Saturday, they’ll love me!” Even though Pereira holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, many think he lacks elite wrestling skills. Ankalaev, known for his wrestling, could exploit this. Interestingly, neither fighter has a submission win.

As a practicing Muslim, Ankalaev is also fasting during Ramadan, which adds another layer to his preparation. He had to adjust his training to ensure he stays hydrated and maintains his weight.

Ankalaev explained, “I had to break my fast a couple of times to make weight. Other than that, everything else is the same.” This change seems to concern Pereira, who might be feeling the pressure: “He seems way too worried about what I’m doing,” Ankalaev said.

As fight day approaches, fans are gearing up for an explosive match between these two fighters. A victory for Ankalaev would place him at the top of the light heavyweight division, while a win for Pereira could boost him up the pound-for-pound rankings. All that’s left now is to see how the fight unfolds.

So, who do you think will emerge victorious? Will Ankalaev’s adjustments during Ramadan pay off, or will Pereira secure another knockout win?

Source link