Magomed Ankalaev, not typically known for trash talk, had strong words for Alex Pereira at the UFC 313 pre-fight press conference on Thursday.
The usually reserved Russian fighter was unusually outspoken on stage, facing a loud crowd that largely supported his opponent. Ankalaev seemed unfazed by the boos, smiling and promising to change the crowd’s chants by the end of Saturday night’s main event.
“I want to say that I see everyone is against me in this fight,” Ankalaev stated. “Everyone is chanting ‘Chama! Chama! Chama!’ But guess what? Chama time is over. After this Saturday night, after the fight, you will all love me.”
“The same people who are saying Chama now will be saying No Chama! It’s Ankalaev time.”
Of course, ‘Chama’ is a term Pereira popularized during his impressive UFC career, where he became a two-division champion with three light heavyweight title defenses.
Despite his dominance, Pereira is only slightly favored in his upcoming fight, with many believing Ankalaev presents his toughest challenge yet.
With a record of 19-1, including one no contest and 10 knockouts, and a combat sambo background, Ankalaev appears to possess the size and power to trouble Pereira in all aspects of the fight. This is a key reason why he has been considered the top contender in the division for some time, especially after a controversial split draw in a previous title attempt against Jan Blachowicz in 2022.
That setback motivated Ankalaev to work harder for another title opportunity, and he suggests Pereira should be thankful for this.
“I wasn’t upset about the last title fight,” Ankalaev said. “I blame only myself. We all saw the fight, but it happened as it did. Now, it’s a completely different situation. It’s a different fight, a different opponent.”
“You know what? Honestly, Pereira should thank Dana White for protecting him all this time. Now things will be very different.”
While the biased crowd remained noisy and made it difficult for Ankalaev to speak, he did answer a few questions from the Russian media. One question involved defeating Pereira so decisively that he would be forced to retire from fighting and return to his former job at a tire shop in Brazil.
Ankalaev laughed at the question before replying.
“We plan to absolutely dominate him on Saturday,” Ankalaev stated. “We will ensure that Chama has no chance on Saturday. Whether he remains in the sport or decides to go back to the tire shop, that’s his decision. He will have to make that choice.”
Despite his expectations of winning and becoming the UFC 313 champion, Ankalaev is not considering future plans until after he faces Pereira.
Given Pereira’s dominant championship reign, he might warrant an immediate rematch regardless of the fight’s outcome, but Ankalaev prefers to focus on winning first before considering that possibility.
“For now, we are not focusing on what will happen afterward,” Ankalaev said. “Right now, we have a fight ahead of us. Let’s go out there, let’s win, and then we will think about who gets the rematch or what comes next.”
