Alex Pereira reveals he asked for Magomed Ankalaev fight at UFC 313

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has said that he specifically requested a fight with Magomed Ankalaev in the midst of the bout being announced for UFC 313.

In case it was ever in any doubt, let it be known that Alex Pereira is willing to take on any challenge that comes his way. He is one of the most intimidating fighters of his generation and as we look back over the last few years, there aren’t many other fighters who have been as influential as him in the world of mixed martial arts.

Last night, it was revealed that Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev for the UFC light heavyweight championship will serve as the headline bout for UFC 313. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of excitement in the air when it comes to determining what exactly this fight is going to look like.

In an interview on Saturday evening, ‘Poatan’ revealed that he was the one who requested the Ankalaev fight.

Alex Pereira pursues Magomed Ankalaev

“I did say that I wanted to take a break, but I start training again, I start feeling good,” he told ESPN’s Megan Olivi backstage through his translator. “I start seeing my evolution. So I call my managers right away and I say, ‘I wanna fight. I wanna fight in March. I wanna fight Ankalaev.’”

“I know he keeps saying that I’m a just an employee of the UFC, I fight whenever they want. But I asked for him. I told them when I wanna fight.”

Quotes via MMA Mania

Nobody can ever deny the overwhelming ability of Alex Pereira. Still, there are bound to be plenty of eyes on this Ankalaev collision. He can strike, he can wrestle, and he isn’t afraid of anyone. Get ready, fight fans, because this one should be an absolute banger.