Tag: magomed ankalaev

Alex Pereira is smartly not taking Magomed Ankalaev’s previous comments as total fact. The two men are set to finally meet in the main event of UFC 313 on March 8 in Las Vegas in what many believe will be the defending champion’s toughest test to date.

In recent times, Ankalaev has largely relied on his striking and whilst he hasn’t had a reason to abandon this approach because it has been working, everyone knows that he is a talented grappler even if he hasn’t shown that inside the Octagon for some time. In pursuing this fight with “Poatan”, the challenger has claimed that he is only going to stand and strike with Pereira which would seemingly put him at a disadvantage.

Pereira has accomplished incredible things since signing with the UFC in 2021 but what makes his success even more impressive is that he’s still playing catch-up to the opponents that he faces who will have vastly more experience than him both in the cage and in the MMA gym. In a recent clip posted on social media, fans got to see some insight into the evolution of the 205-pound champion.

The former Glory kickboxer recently spent some time training in Brazil alongside the Fighting Nerds team who have got some serious momentum behind them right now following star-making years for the likes of Jean Silva and Carlos Prates. The gym’s Instagram page posted a video of Pereira doing some grappling arounds alongside Geovanis Palacios who is a former Olympic wrestler for Cuba who has 7 MMA bouts under his belt.

Pereira is already a master striker so it makes sense that he would be continuing to put himself through the grappling ringer just in case Ankalaev decides to flip the script that he has wrote himself in Las Vegas.

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Magomed Ankalaev is vowing to make Alex Pereira pay after their highly anticipated title fight was officially confirmed.

Ankalaev is primed to challenge reigning light heavyweight champion Pereira in the main event of UFC 313, set to take place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For Ankalaev, his long-awaited second title shot has been a journey months in the making, as he has been calling out “Poatan” ever since the Brazilian champion successfully defended his title against Ji?í Procházka at UFC 303 this past June. However, the MMA promotion took an unexpected turn by booking Khalil Rountree to face Pereira at UFC 307 in October, only adding to the Russian’s mounting frustration.

Subsequently, Ankalaev was matched up with Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 308, where he delivered a dominant performance to further cement his status as the top contender for the title. Pereira cheekily teased him on social media, suggesting he had other opponents in mind for his next challenge. This sparked a wave of speculation from several fans and even the former title challenger himself, with many claiming that “Poatan” was attempting to sidestep their inevitable showdown.

Following the announcement of their matchup during the UFC 311 broadcast this past weekend, Pereira took to X to deliver a message to his future opponent, writing, “See you soon, Ankalaev.”

Ankalaev wasted no time firing back at Pereira, issuing a menacing ultimatum and mocking his past as a tire shop worker. He vowed to make the 205-pound champion regret allegedly stalling their upcoming bout.

“You just signed your death certificate. I’m gonna punish you for ducking me, and I’m gonna make you look like a guy work in a tire shop not professional Fighter.” Ankalaev wrote on X.

The 32-year-old Dagestani further asserted that he is far better prepared for this bout than Pereira.

“Alex Pereira, he goes to all UFC fights to get free alcohol and get camera time. On the other hand, I’ve been training so hard. March 8, alcohol won’t help you. CHAMA.”

Ankalaev is on an impressive 13-fight unbeaten streak, having secured two victories last year. He contended for the vacant light heavyweight title against former champion Jan B?achowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022, which ultimately ended in a draw.

Meanwhile, Pereira enjoyed a remarkable 2024, successfully defending his title three times, with each victory punctuated by a spectacular knockout.

Magomed Ankalaev is vowing to make Alex Pereira pay after their highly anticipated title fight was officially confirmed.

Ankalaev is primed to challenge reigning light heavyweight champion Pereira in the main event of UFC 313, set to take place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For Ankalaev, his long-awaited second title shot has been a journey months in the making, as he has been calling out “Poatan” ever since the Brazilian champion successfully defended his title against Ji?í Procházka at UFC 303 this past June. However, the MMA promotion took an unexpected turn by booking Khalil Rountree to face Pereira at UFC 307 in October, only adding to the Russian’s mounting frustration.

Subsequently, Ankalaev was matched up with Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 308, where he delivered a dominant performance to further cement his status as the top contender for the title. Pereira cheekily teased him on social media, suggesting he had other opponents in mind for his next challenge. This sparked a wave of speculation from several fans and even the former title challenger himself, with many claiming that “Poatan” was attempting to sidestep their inevitable showdown.

Following the announcement of their matchup during the UFC 311 broadcast this past weekend, Pereira took to X to deliver a message to his future opponent, writing, “See you soon, Ankalaev.”

Ankalaev wasted no time firing back at Pereira, issuing a menacing ultimatum and mocking his past as a tire shop worker. He vowed to make the 205-pound champion regret allegedly stalling their upcoming bout.

“You just signed your death certificate. I’m gonna punish you for ducking me, and I’m gonna make you look like a guy work in a tire shop not professional Fighter.” Ankalaev wrote on X.

The 32-year-old Dagestani further asserted that he is far better prepared for this bout than Pereira.

“Alex Pereira, he goes to all UFC fights to get free alcohol and get camera time. On the other hand, I’ve been training so hard. March 8, alcohol won’t help you. CHAMA.”

Ankalaev is on an impressive 13-fight unbeaten streak, having secured two victories last year. He contended for the vacant light heavyweight title against former champion Jan B?achowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022, which ultimately ended in a draw.

Meanwhile, Pereira enjoyed a remarkable 2024, successfully defending his title three times, with each victory punctuated by a spectacular knockout.

The release of opening odds for the recently announced UFC 313 headliner between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev have raised some eyebrows.

Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion, had his first assignment of 2025 announced during the broadcast of UFC 311 on Saturday night. “Poatan” was present as his long-awaited battle with Ankalaev was made official.

Following months of back and forth on social media and questions surrounding his next step, the Brazilian has been lined up to face the consensus top contender in the main event of UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8.

As always, the fight news was quickly followed by the release of opening odds. And interestingly, despite his impressive streak of successful title defenses in 2024, Pereira is the underdog.

On BetOnline.ag, the champ opened at +170, with the challenger’s line reading -200.

That split opinion online, with many expressing their confidence in Pereira maintaining his place on the light heavyweight throne come fight night at T-Mobile Arena.

At UFC 313, Alex Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against the number one contender at 205 pounds, Magomed Ankalaev.

This long-awaited clash will headline the promotion’s return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 8 as the 2025 calendar continues to take shape.

The fight was made official during the UFC 311 broadcast and is certainly one that fight fans have been eagerly anticipating.

Many believe that Ankalaev has long deserved another shot at the title following his unbeaten streak in the division. He solidified his spot by beating Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 308 last October to make him undeniable.

In order to secure UFC gold for the first time, he will need to end the incredible winning streak of “Poatan,” who successfully defended the title three times last year. Since moving up to light heavyweight, Pereira has won five fights in a row but many believe that Ankalaev will be his toughest test to date.

Jon Anik also confirmed a five-round co-main event for March 8 between fan favorites Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker at lightweight.