Magomed Ankalaev Ducked Alex Pereira According to Poatan: “I’m Not Scared Of Anyone”
Magomed Ankalaev has been butchering the competition in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, but according to the champion, Alex Pereira, Ankalaev doesn’t want to fight him for the title.
The champion has now been paired with Khalil Rountree Jr., and the duo will fight at UFC 307 on October 5th. This matchup has left some MMA fans scratching their heads because although Rountree is riding an impressive win streak, he is still only #8 in the light heavyweight rankings.
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira would seem like the most sensible matchup on paper, but according to ‘Poatan’, Ankalaev is either unwilling or unable to face him.
Magomed Ankalaev Allegedly doesn’t want to fight Alex Pereira
Speaking in a YouTube video, the UFC’s light heavyweight champion decided to set things straight about his choice of opponent for UFC 307 and why it’s not the man almost everybody believes to be the #1 contender.
“I always wanted to fight against Ankalaev,” Alex Pereira said. “I threw that to the organization (the UFC). Left it very clear. But Ankalaev didn’t want to fight against me. I don’t know the reason. If it was the location, if he just didn’t want to. He isn’t the champion, he can’t pick anything. I think it’s the opportunity that shows up, he didn’t want it.”
“He (Magomed Ankalaev) has his reasoning,” Pereira continued. “I don’t know what it is… I’m not scared of anyone. Everybody knows my history. Everything I’ve done. Who I went against. Not just MMA but also Kickboxing. I’m doing an excellent job. It’s obvious I want to fight this guy. I’m a competitive guy, not just controlling the emotion, but also the reasoning. Training good, learning, evolving every day.”
Some sources have also pointed to visa issues as the main reason Ankalaev turned down the fight. In fact, Ankalaev even responded to this YouTube video by Alex Pereira, claiming that the champion was lying.
What do you think about this situation?
