“I’ll stand across him!” Magomed Ankalaev promises ‘NO TAKEDOWNS’ against Alex Pereira if he accepts UFC 300 title fight

Magomed Ankalaev ended the controversies surrounding his last fight at UFC Vegas 84 by knocking out Johnny Walker in the second round. As such, this performance received praise from Alex Pereira’s coach, Glover Teixeira. Ankalaev sent a message to Teixeira and the light-heavyweight champion, proposing a standup game with no takedowns.

Glover Teixeira, on X, applauded Magomed Ankalaev’s knockout win and stated Alex Pereira would meet him soon. Pereira is one of the best strikers in the UFC. In response, Ankalaev boldly sent a message to Teixeira claiming he would deploy a ‘No takedown’ game plan against Pereira. Here is what he said:

For Glover Teixeira, I have a message. Don’t waste your time trying to teach your student (Alex Pereira) how to wrestle and grapple. He’s not gonna need it. I’m gonna come out there, and I’m gonna stand across from him. I know he’s been knocked out before as a middleweight, so imagine what’s gonna happen if I meet him in a light heavyweight. Trust me, he’s not gonna feel comfortable there.

Magomed Ankalaev via Post-Fight Press Conference

Further in the interview, Ankalaev spoke about his performance against Johnny Walker and revealed he purposefully didn’t use wrestling. He said he could’ve wrestled but didn’t do it to make a statement about his striking. As such, he confidently challenged the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira for a striking battle. Also, Ankalaev expressed his wish to fight ‘Poatan’ at UFC 300.

Magomed Ankalaev has an impressive career in the UFC despite some controversies. Recently, he found himself in a weird spot due to his no-contest against Johnny Walker and draw against Jan Blachowicz. However, with a clear win at UFC Vegas 84, the Dagestani once again proved himself to be one of the top contenders at light-heavyweight. Only time will tell if the UFC books him for the title fight.

Analyzing Magomed Ankalaev’s decision not to use his wrestling against Alex Pereira

Magomed Ankalaev called out Alex Pereira after his victory against Johnny Walker in UFC Las Vegas 84. Further, in the post-fight press conference, Ankalaev claimed not to use his wrestling against Periera in their potential fight. As such, considering the skillsets of both the fighters, is this the right decision for Ankalaev? To answer, consider their fights against Jan Blachowicz.

Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira faced Jan Blachowicz in UFC 282 and UFC 291, respectively. While ‘Poatan’ managed to win by split decision, Ankalaev could only draw the fight. During their fight, Blachowicz battered Ankalaev’s legs using low kicks and inched towards victory. However, Ankalaev used his wrestling skills in the later rounds and managed to draw the fight. On the other hand, Pereira struggled with Blachowicz’s wrestling in the first round but managed to dominate the rest to win the fight.

Analyzing the fights, Magomed Ankalaev’s decision to engage in a standup game with Alex Pereira might backfire him. Pereira is arguably one of the best leg kickers in the UFC and could exploit Ankalaev’s leg kick weakness, as exposed by Jan Blachowicz. Also, if Ankalaev, as promised, doesn’t use wrestling and dominate as Blachowicz did, he would be disadvantaged. So, one could conclude that Ankalaev’s decision to stand against ‘Poatan’ is not smart. However, the fight looked interesting, and its addition to UFC 300 would boost the star power of the fight card.

In case you missed it:

• UFC 299 Celebrities list: Drake, Lil Wayne, Pitbull, and more REVEALED by headliner Sean O’Malley
• “How do you see this and say boxing is better?” – Spinning kick KO at UFC Vegas 84 has fans HYPED about return of MMA fights

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW