Ahead of his UFC 307 title defense, Alex Pereira has once again caused a stir by criticizing Magomed Ankalaev, the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight, for not being chosen as his next opponent. Instead of facing Ankalaev, Pereira will take on Khalil Rountree Jr., who is ranked 8th, drawing criticism from fans and analysts alike.
Why Pereira Doesn’t Want to Face Ankalaev
In a recent interview, Pereira didn’t hold back when explaining why he didn’t want to fight Ankalaev. According to Pereira, the main reason was Ankalaev’s lackluster fighting style. “Honestly, it’s not my fault that Ankalaev has a boring style that nobody wants to watch. That’s why no one wants to set up this fight,” Pereira stated bluntly.
Not only did Pereira criticize Ankalaev’s fighting technique, but he also took aim at Ali Abdelaziz, Ankalaev’s manager, who claimed that Ankalaev wouldn’t fight for the title, suggesting that UFC and Dana White didn’t want to book the fight either.
Magomed Ankalaev Fires Back
With 6 knockout victories to his name, just like Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev wasn’t going to let the criticism slide. He immediately responded on Twitter, asserting that Pereira avoided him because “I’m not an easy opponent.” “I have the same number of knockouts as he does, and he knows why he’s not facing me. He needs to focus on his own fight. If he wants this match, I’ll be ready,” Ankalaev tweeted.
A War of Words and Fists
While UFC 307 is still to come, the back-and-forth between Pereira and Ankalaev has already sparked plenty of attention. Could these verbal clashes lead to a future showdown between the two fighters? The answer may come after Pereira successfully defends his UFC title. One thing is for sure, a fight between Pereira and Ankalaev would not be short of tension and explosive action.
