Alex
Pereira doesn’t like the timing of a potential clash against
Magomed
Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi.
Pereira recently defended his light heavyweight title for the first
time with a brutal Round 1 knockout win over Jamahal
Hill in the main event at UFC
300. Ankalaev subsequently claimed that he was offered a title
shot against “Poatan” at UFC 300 but turned it down as he was
observing Ramadan. Ankalaev also called Pereira out for a clash in
Abu Dhabi, which is considered home turf for many Russian fighters.
In a post on social media, Ankalaev questioned Pereira’s chin and
predicted a first-round knockout.
@AlexPereiraUFC
vs me Abu Dhabi— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM)
April 14, 2024
@AlexPereiraUFC
congratulation, l will stop in the first round by knockout @danawhite
@Mickmaynard2
the man doesn’t have a chin— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM)
April 14, 2024
The UFC’s annual pay-per-view card in Abu Dhabi is set to go down
on Oct. 26. However, Pereira, who is also eyeing a move to
heavyweight, wants to fight sooner if another light heavyweight
title defense is what’s next for him.
“I don’t want to fight at the end of the year, I want to fight
sooner, so maybe that shows [Ankalaev] won’t be ready. I don’t know
why he said that, this guy is complicated,” Pereira recently told MMAFighting.com.
“Honestly, I have to see what’s best. I’m here to fight, but I
don’t understand best about other things like where is best [to
fight] and where isn’t. If I have to fight there, I will, but if
it’s not a date I want, then it’s not best for me. I can say
no.”
Ankalaev is coming off a knockout win over Johnny
Walker in January and is undefeated in his last 12 outings.
