Former UFC Champ Sounds the Alarm: Alex Pereira Is Taking a HUGE Risk at UFC 312
Alex Pereira is just a few weeks away from his toughest test yet under the UFC banner.
On March 8, ‘Poatan’ will step back inside the Octagon set to defend his light heavyweight championship for a fourth time. But unlike his previous opponents — Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree — Pereira will be facing a fighter with both knockout power and world-class grappling.
Magomed Ankalev, the 205-pound division’s top-ranked contender, has earned his spot in the UFC 313 headliner via an impressive 11-1-1 under the UFC banner and a streak that has seen him go unbeaten since September 2018. He’s also the man many believe holds to key to defeating ‘Poatan’ and ending the Brazilian boogeyman’s dominant reign at light heavyweight.
‘The Count’ calls Pereira’s fight with Ankalaev at UFC 313 a ‘Risky move’
That list of people appears to include UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping who suggested that Pereira is taking a huge risk by fighting Ankalaev.
“DC thinks it’s a bad idea. I’ve got a theory on why he’s saying that,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “The reality is, for Alex Pereira, flying to the other side of the world just weeks before his title fight against Magomed Ankalaev, a guy many believe is his toughest matchup at 205, is a risky move. And I probably agree.
Daniel Cormier pointed out that once you go to Australia, you have to deal with jet lag, different food, and a disrupted training regimen. Those are all valid concerns. Meanwhile, the whole time Pereira is doing that, Magomed Ankalaev is working his ass off. Because if Pereira beats him, he cements his own legendary status. But every moment spent standing around with Sean Strickland and doing media, he’s not improving his game, he’s not working on takedown defense, and that could be a problem.
It should be noted that UFC 313 is taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, not Australia. Bisping was likely confusing next month’s pay-per-view with this Saturday’s in The Land Down Under which will see Dricus Du Plessis defend his middleweight strap against Sean Strickland in a main event rematch.
Even so, ‘The Count’ makes a strong point.
