Alex Pereira DENIES avoiding the Magomed Ankalaev fight:
“You gotta sort that with the organization…
AdvertisementIt’s not my fault that Ankalaev has such a boring style of fighting that nobody wants to watch.”
@KevinI #UFC #MMA #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/42OS04SuHr
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 28, 2024
Alex Pereira maintains that he never turned down an offer to fight Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. While he is riding a five-fight winning streak with four finishes, Rountree surpassing Ankalaev for a title shot was nonetheless a bit of a surprise.
Currently unbeaten in his last 12 outings, Ankalaev will face Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. While many consider Ankalaev the rightful contender, Pereira previously hinted that the Russian turned down a title shot against him at UFC 307 due to location and timeline preferences.
UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
However, Ankalaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, defended his client, claiming he was never offered a title shot and accusing Pereira of ducking instead. Pereira recently dismissed allegations of avoiding Ankalaev, putting the onus on the UFC for the booking. Abdelaziz also said Ankalaev not fighting for gold at 205 pounds is “bulls—t.” Responding to Abdelaziz, Pereira inquired if the manager considers UFC top brass to be a joke. “Poatan” also took a dig at Ankalaev’s lackluster grappling-heavy style, suggesting that might be the reason the promotion doesn’t want him fighting for the title. Rather than ducking Ankalaev, Pereira looks forward to displaying his previously unseen wrestling skillset when the opportunity presents itself.
“Even his manager [Ali Abdelaziz] right, super renowned guy, guy famous of the MMA world, goes and says that, ‘Oh this guy is not gonna fight,’” Pereira told Kevin Iole. “Go to talk to Dana White. But Dana White doesn’t want to make the matchup. It’s not [me]. And he goes and says that the fact Ankalaev is not fighting for the title is a joke. Because the UFC and Dana White and the guys that decide, so they’re [a] joke? They’re clowns? They’re circus? So you [have to] sort that with the organization. But honestly, it’s not my fault that Ankalaev have such poor style fighting that nobody wants to watch. That the guys don’t want to put him in. I’m ready to fight the guy, he’s ready to fight me. So whenever they [make] the fight, people talk about my ground, so that’s a good chance to go and show everybody.”
