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Alex Pereira Reveals Magomed Ankalaev Isn’t Getting Next Title Shot, Ankalaev Cries ‘Chicken’

While it’s not clear who he’ll be fighting first in 2025, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira says it won’t be the man many see as his biggest threat in the division. “Poatan,” a former titleholder at 185 pounds, enjoyed a standout year in the Octagon. After being crowned a two-division king last November, the […]

While it’s not clear who he’ll be fighting first in 2025, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira says it won’t be the man many see as his biggest threat in the division.

“Poatan,” a former titleholder at 185 pounds, enjoyed a standout year in the Octagon. After being crowned a two-division king last November, the Brazilian successfully defended the 205-pound gold three times in 2024.

Knockout wins over Jamahal Hill, Ji?í Procházka, and Khalil Rountree have left Pereira as a leading candidate for Fighter of the Year. But there remains one point of discussion used by his limited group of detractors.

Even prior to his win over Aleksandar Raki? in October, Ankalaev was seen by many as the most deserving of a title shot. With that not coming to fruition, some concluded that the promotion has been looking to ‘protect’ Pereira from the well-rounded game of the Russian.

And that fire has now had considerable fuel thrown on it.

Despite Ankalaev’s unbeaten run and place on the light heavyweight ladder, Pereira has seemingly heard from the promotion that he won’t be stood opposite the Brazilian next time out.

“It won’t be Ankalaev!” the light heavyweight titleholder wrote on X.

It didn’t take long for a frustrated Ankalaev to appear in the comments section, once again accusing Pereira of deliberately avoiding him by branding the champ a “chicken.”

“Chicken”

With a clash with Ankalaev seemingly out of the running, it remains to be seen what will come next for Pereira.

Given that the Russian sits as the clear top contender at 205 pounds, “Poatan’s” recent post could suggest a much-discussed heavyweight venture in pursuit of historic three-weight glory.

Read More: Dustin Poirier Makes His Pick For 2024 Knockout Of The Year: ‘Never Really Seen Him Rocked’

Alex Pereira Reveals Magomed Ankalaev Isn’t Getting Next Title Shot, Ankalaev Cries ‘Chicken’

While it’s not clear who he’ll be fighting first in 2025, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira says it won’t be the man many see as his biggest threat in the division.

And that fire has now had considerable fuel thrown on it.

Despite Ankalaev’s unbeaten run and place on the light heavyweight ladder, Pereira has seemingly heard from the promotion that he won’t be stood opposite the Brazilian next time out.

“It won’t be Ankalaev!” the light heavyweight titleholder wrote on X.

It didn’t take long for a frustrated Ankalaev to appear in the comments section, once again accusing Pereira of deliberately avoiding him by branding the champ a “chicken.”

“Chicken”

With a clash with Ankalaev seemingly out of the running, it remains to be seen what will come next for Pereira.

Given that the Russian sits as the clear top contender at 205 pounds, “Poatan’s” recent post could suggest a much-discussed heavyweight venture in pursuit of historic three-weight glory.

Read More: Dustin Poirier Makes His Pick For 2024 Knockout Of The Year: ‘Never Really Seen Him Rocked’

Alex Pereira Claims Next UFC Title Fight Won’t Be Against No. 1 Contender Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira Claims Next UFC Title Fight Won't Be Against No. 1 Contender Magomed Ankalaev Alex Pereira is looking forward to his first title defense of 2024. After a monstrous 2024 that saw him…

Alex Pereira is looking forward to his first title defense of 2024.

After a monstrous 2024 that saw him bag big highlight-reel knockouts over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree, ‘Poatan’ is planning to go even bigger in 2025.

Originally, all signs pointed toward Pereira putting his light heavyweight title on the line against top-ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev in the first quarter of the year. However, that may no longer be the case according to the ‘Brazilian Boogeyman.’

Recently, Pereira posted a clip from his fourth-round finish of ‘The War Horse’ at UFC 307. Interestingly, in the caption, he wrote, “It won’t be Ankalaev!” accompanied by a cry laughing emoji on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira)

It’s possible that Pereira could be trolling Ankalaev, something he’s been known to do on social media from time to time.

On the other hand, Pereira’s words could be 100% legit considering his targeted return is in March 2025, smack dab in the middle of Ramadan — a holy month in the Islamic calendar that Ankalaev observes every year.

If not magomed ankalaev, then who’s next for alex pereira?

Unfortunately, there are few other options for Pereira at 205. He’s already ran through everyone in the light heavyweight top five aside from Aleksandar Rakic and it’s unlikely ‘Rocket’ would get the nod after coming up short in his last three outings.

Carlos Ulberg already has a bout booked for March against ex-champion Jan Blachowicz.

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That just leaves Nikita Krylov, the No. 8 ranked contender in the division.

Krylov is sitting on a three-fight win streak with finishes against Alexander Gustafsson and Ryan Spann, making him the most viable title challenger outside of Ankalaev. Though most fight fans would probably agree that ‘The Miner’ still has some work to do before the UFC could justify giving him a title opportunity.

Jan B?achowicz: Magomed Ankalaev Must ‘Change’ To Have A Chance Of Beating Alex Pereira

Following his win over Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 308 in October, it looks like the next time that we see Magomed Ankalaev, he will finally get his long awaited title shot against Alex Pereira. Many expected that this would be the next test for “Poatan” following his wins over Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka earlier […]

In Abu Dhabi, Ankalaev got his hand raised once again after sticking to his word and beating Raki? over three rounds by only striking with him. The Russian has continued to push the idea that when he eventually faced Pereira, he will do the same and will knockout the kickboxing specialist to win the 205-pound gold.

One fellow top contender who doesn’t think this that applying the same approach is the best idea is the former champion, Jan B?achowicz. In his last outing at UFC 291, “Polish Power” became the closest of anyone to beating Pereira at light heavyweight when he welcomed the former middleweight champion to his new weight class.

B?achowicz came out on the wrong side of a split decision and though he wasn’t able to land a lot of offense, he did have some success with his grappling and once he became tired, he was able to avoid eating anything too damaging from the Brazilian. B?achowicz gave his thoughts on that potential title fight in a recent interview with James Lynch for Home of Fight.

He believes that in order for Ankalaev to leave with the title, he needs to take more risks to really put a stamp on the fight instead of simply trying to win each round without taking damage.

“If Ankalaev will fight like last fight with [Aleksandar] Rakic, he’s going to lose the fight. He needs to do something more. He needs to be like, I don’t know, but – he is good fighter, but it’s not enough for Pereira in this kind of style. He needs to change.

“He needs to be more – he has to believe in that which he’s doing. I think he doesn’t believe. He just wants to win the fight, but don’t take too much punches. He is very careful in this what he’s doing and I think this kind of way, fighting with Pereira, will not work.”

Magomed Ankalaev Picks Khabib Nurmagomedov To Beat Alex Pereira

According to the top-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev, the lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov would be able to defeat ‘Poatan’…

According to the top-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev, the lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov would be able to defeat ‘Poatan’ Alex Pereira with his wrestling.

Magomed Ankalaev says Khabib Nurmagomedov Beats Alex Pereira

Magomed Ankalaev is a Russian-Dagestani mixed martial artist currently competing in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division and has long been waiting to get a title shot against the Brazilian knockout machine Alex Pereira. He began his career in amateur MMA and combat sambo, winning several championships before turning pro in 2014.

Alex Pereira is currently listed as a slight underdog in a potential future UFC bout against Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira, the light heavyweight champion, opened with odds of +120, while Ankalaev is favored at -140. Oddsmakers seem to favor Ankalaev’s wrestling background as a potential advantage in this matchup. Check out more info at bet777 right here.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is a retired Russian-Dagestani MMA fighter who is considered one of the all-time greats in sport having retired with a perfect 29-0 record. Nurmagomedov’s fighting style was distinguished by his exceptional wrestling and grappling skills, which he developed through his background in sambo. The Eagle’ as a coach has created several world champions such as Usman Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Belal Muhammad, among others.

Brazil’s Alex Pereira is a former two-division kickboxing world champion who transitioned to MMA and has been able to pick up middleweight and light heavyweight titles in the UFC. He is feared for his thunderous punching power. Beginning his venture into MMA quite late in his life, it is believed that his wrestling is lacking however very few fighters have succeeded in taking him down so it remains a question.

Magomed Ankalaev explained in an interview with Islam Babadzhanov that Khabib Nurmagomedov could likely defeat Alex Pereira as ‘Poatan’ lacks wrestling. He explained:

“I’ve never wrestled with Khabib, I’ve not faced him, so it’s hard to answer that question. Pereira, I think if anyone who, Khabib, if he takes him down, I think, he’ll finish it. Why? Because Pereira doesn’t have wrestling. He doesn’t know how to get up. And he also hasn’t been in hard fights where wrestling is present.”

Dagestan’s Ankalaev has remained unbeaten since his singular MMA career loss in 2018. Since then, he has defeated notable fighters including Nikita Krylov, Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, Anthony Smith, Johnny Walker, and, most recently, Aleksandar Raki?.

Dagestan’s Magomed Ankalaev has a bone to pick with Pereira and is hoping to get a shot at the throne in 2025. He sees wrestling as a major disadvantage for the knockout striker. Ankalaev’s assessment highlights the classic striker vs. grappler matchup in MMA. Despite Pereira’s formidable striking ability, Ankalaev believes Khabib Nurmagomedov’s world-class wrestling would be the deciding factor. Even at a higher weight class, Nurmagomedov’s grappling could potentially neutralize Pereira’s knockout power.

Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev – Light Heavyweight Showdown Looms Ankalaev Claims Dana White Said

Alex Pereira’s next fight is all lined up, and no, it’s not against Jon Jones. Poatan’ successfully defended his…

Alex Pereira’s next fight is all lined up, and no, it’s not against Jon Jones.

Poatan’ successfully defended his light heavyweight title three times in 2024, scoring a trio of highlight-reel knockouts against Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree. Recent rumors suggested that the UFC was courting Pereira to save another event after its welterweight headliner at UFC 310 on December 7 fell through.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the ‘Brazilian Boogeyman’ won’t be closing out the promotion’s pay-per-view scheduled next month, but we do know who he’ll face when 2025 rolls around.

According to top-ranked contender Magomedov Ankalaev, UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that he will be next in line for a shot at Pereira’s 205-pound title.

“@danawhite told my team I’m next for Alex,” Ankalaev wrote on X. “Thank you for clearing this today.”

Dana White shoots down jon jones’ demands for a fight with Alex pereira

Pereira vs. Ankalaev has been rumored for some time and, by all accounts, is the fight to make at the top of the light heavyweight division. Especially after Ankalaev’s 11th straight win against Aleksandar Raki? in Abu Dhabi. However, there was some doubt about their pairing, particularly after undisputed heavyweight king Jon ‘Bones’ Jones began lobbying hard for a BMF bout with Pereira.

“Alex Pereira is the only fight, right now, that makes sense to my legacy,” Jones said during Wednesday’s UFC 309 media day. “At the end of the day, Pereira is worth risking it for me. He [Aspinall] just doesn’t have the titles. He can have the high finishing rate, but he doesn’t have titles. It only makes sense to fight someone on your level.”

Unfortunately for Jones, Dana White isn’t interested in making that fight happen. During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, the UFC CEO shot down any possibility of a bout between ‘Bones’ and Pereira, adding that if Jones wants to fight beyond Saturday’s card in NYC, there’s only one open road to take.

“Jon will do what he does on Saturday,” White said. “If he wins, he’ll disappear for a while and the competitive spirit will start bubbling up again, and then money will talk. If he doesn’t decide to retire, he absolutely, positively fights Aspinall. He’s not fighting Pereira.

“[Pereira] was a middleweight who moved up to light heavyweight. He’s also a kickboxer who has done very, very well in MMA. His wrestling isn’t even near the level of Jon Jones, and Jon Jones is way bigger than him. If Jon Jones wants to fight again after Saturday night, he will fight Tom Aspinall.”