Magomed Ankalaev understands why some people think the UFC would prefer Alex Pereira to win their upcoming fight. However, he is not concerned about disrupting any plans.
Ankalaev will fight Pereira for the light heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 313 in Las Vegas. Recently, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub suggested on his podcast that UFC executives are hoping Pereira wins to potentially set up big future fights against heavyweight champions Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. Schaub believes this plan might be ruined if Ankalaev wins.
Schaub commented that it would be surprising if the UFC wasn’t hoping for a Pereira victory. He implied that while a rematch would be possible if Ankalaev wins, Pereira is seen as a bigger star with more immediate potential, especially considering his age and recent activity.
Ahead of his second chance to win the championship, Ankalaev was asked about Schaub’s remarks and whether he agreed.
Ankalaev responded that he understands that a Pereira victory would create more opportunities for him in terms of fame and future matchups.
However, Ankalaev stated that fate has brought them together, and Pereira will face a significant challenge in him to achieve those goals.
Ankalaev previously fought for the title at UFC 282 in December 2022 against Jan Blachowicz, which ended in a draw. UFC President Dana White was openly critical of that fight, and Ankalaev has had to fight three more times to get another title shot.
Despite an impressive 13-fight unbeaten streak, Ankalaev has watched Pereira defend his title three times in 2024, with knockout wins over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree. While respecting Pereira as a fighter, Ankalaev believes Pereira hasn’t faced someone with his skillset yet.
Ankalaev explained that Pereira is a strong and great fighter, but he has mostly fought opponents who are primarily strikers without strong ground games. Ankalaev sees himself as a much different kind of opponent.
“I’m going to be a whole different fighter standing in front of him on Saturday,” Ankalaev asserted, emphasizing his unique challenge to Pereira.
