Tom Aspinall Gets Flamed by MMA Fans for ‘Lying’ About Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev 

UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall makes absurd facts when discussing the first Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev bout ahead of UFC 320.

Tom Aspinall Gets Flamed by MMA Fans for ‘Lying’ About Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev 

Tom Aspinall analyze Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira (via X)

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The stage is set for one of the most talked-about rematches of 2025, Alex Pereira versus Magomed Ankalaev. Heading into this title fight, Ankalaev stands as the betting favorite, largely due to his current unbeaten run. While Pereira possesses devastating knockout power, experts, including heavyweight Tom Aspinall, have leaned towards Ankalaev’s chances in this battle.

Before their previous bout, Alex Pereira entered the octagon riding a five-fight winning streak. Ankalaev executed his strategy perfectly. Utilizing his relentless wrestling threat alongside consistent forward pressure, the Russian never allowed ‘Poatan’ any openings throughout the entire contest. In a recent UFC on TNT interview, Aspinall predicted that the exact same result would unfold in their rematch.

I think the matchups were quite favorable to Alex Pereira up until Magomed Ankalaev. Just with the threats of the takedown, even in the first fight, we didn’t really see Ankalaev really go for the takedowns too much, but I think just the threat being there, stylistically, he’s a bad matchup for Pereira. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does it again.

Tom Aspinall via UFC on TNT 

Before facing Magomed Ankalaev, Pereira had mostly competed against strikers, raising expert concerns about his defensive ability against elite wrestlers. Contrary to Tom Aspinall’s prior comments, the Brazilian surprisingly managed to successfully defend 12 takedown attempts during the clash with Ankalaev. This frustrated the Russian, who accused Pereira of rubbing grease on his body.

Although many fans viewed it as Ankalaev’s failure, those grappling threats still opened opportunities for him to score striking points. Tom Aspinall has carried a long-standing, subtle beef with Alex Pereira that first surfaced when he posted an intense stare-down photo. The British heavyweight later described their tense and hostile interaction, where both men shared the same card at UFC 295.

Since then, both fighters have occasionally expressed genuine interest in squaring off inside the octagon, keeping fans curious. Meanwhile, Magomed Ankalaev has teased a possible move up to heavyweight, targeting Aspinall’s championship belt and stirring greater speculation. Regardless of these possibilities, many fans believe such rivalries have significantly influenced Aspinall’s overall prediction for UFC 320.

Fight fans react to Tom Aspinall’s analysis of Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 

For the rematch, Alex Pereira appears significantly more prepared, focusing heavily on improving takedown defense while training with multiple partners. The Brazilian claimed he only fought at 40 percent in their first meeting, believing extra effort would secure victory over Ankalaev.

Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev (via X)

‘Poatan’ was also sparring with former rival turned training partner Sean Strickland, though fans expressed concerns regarding his overall camp. The former champion criticized Ankalaev’s style as boring and promised to settle their rivalry definitively at UFC 320. On the other hand, 

Ankalaev seized the opportunity to mock Alex Pereira, boldly vowing to knock him out in their upcoming rematch. As the third champion emerging from Dagestan, Ankalaev intends to proudly continue that winning legacy far into the future. Nevertheless, here are some reactions from the fans following Tom Aspinall’s latest prediction for Pereira vs. Ankalaev.

It is safe to say that the MMA community did not appreciate the untrue analysis from the UFC heavyweight champion. Saying Ankalaev didn’t go for the takedowns really frustrated some fans who felt Aspinall hated on ‘Poatan.’ When ‘Big Ank’ went 0/12 in takedowns, a champion and an expert like Aspinall cannot go lazy analysis is what other fans felt.

Going into the bout, both Ankalaev and Pereira are confident about winning the bout and have indulged in severe trash-talking. Recently, both fighters met each other at the UFC PI and indulged in a verbal altercation that went viral. Due to language barriers, both superstars exchanged words via Google Translate, which added a comedic layer to the whole meeting. 

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