Tag: UFC 313

Magomed Ankalaev is insisting that Alex Pereira had an unfair advantage in their first fight.

Ankalaev is gearing up to defend his light heavyweight title for the first time against Pereira in the UFC 320 main event, set for October 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The two first clashed at UFC 313 this past March, where Ankalaev dethroned “Poatan” with a unanimous decision to capture the light heavyweight crown. While the Russian champ outworked Pereira on the feet across five hard-fought rounds, he also leaned heavily on his wrestling arsenal.

Still, Ankalaev’s grappling yielded nothing, as the resilient Brazilian shut down all 12 of his takedown attempts. Now, though, he believes it wasn’t a shortcoming in skill but rather an illicit tactic on Pereira’s part.

Magomed Ankalaev Claims Alex Pereira Used Grease During UFC 313 Bout

Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira have been trading barbs ever since their first clash, and with UFC 320 drawing near, the rivalry is boiling over.

At a recent open workout in Las Vegas, the reigning light heavyweight champion accused “Poatan” of bending the rules in their UFC 313 showdown, alleging that Pereira greased up to make grappling exchanges far more difficult.

At a recent media interaction during an open workout in Las Vegas, the reigning light heavyweight champion doubled down on his coach Sukhrab Magomedov’s earlier accusations, claiming that “Poatan” bent the rules in their UFC 313 showdown by greasing up to make grappling exchanges nearly impossible.

Ankalaev rides a 14-fight unbeaten streak, boasting victories over notable names such as Aleksandar Rakic, Johnny Walker, and Thiago Santos. The 33-year-old Russian stands with a professional slate of 22-1-1 and one no contest, his lone setback coming back in March 2018 when he was submitted by Paul Craig in the third round.

Over a week on from Magomed Ankalaev’s victory over Alex Pereira, the newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion’s coach has leveled an allegation against his man’s foe.

Ankalaev got the better of Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 on March 8, ending the Brazilian’s reign on the 205-pound throne in the process.

While “Poatan” had successfully pushed through three challenges, he fell at the hurdle that had long been tipped to be his tallest in the division given Ankalaev’s well-rounded arsenal and wrestling prowess.

In the end, the Dagestani was actually unable to drag Pereira to the mat, with the kickboxing specialist showing a staunch takedown defense inside T-Mobile Arena.

During a recent interview with Ushatayka, however, coach Sukhrab Magomedov suggested that the now-former light heavyweight kingpin’s ability to withstand Ankalaev’s grappling was not down to increasing skill, but a forbidden “substance.”

“To be honest, the plan from the beginning was to engage in wrestling; get close, in the clinch, wear him down,” Magomedov said. “But, when Magomed pushed him to the fence near our corner, it seemed to me that Pereira had some kind of substance on him. If my experience isn’t wrong, that’s what I’d say was the case.

“The sweat didn’t flow off his body, it gelled up. That’s what it looks like on his body, too. Magomed said afterward that he smelled like he had some ointment on and was sticky,” Magomed continued. “Let’s not forget that Glover Teixeira is a veteran of the game and knows all the tricks.”

Alex Pereira and his coaching team are yet to responded to the accusation.

Should the pair’s expected rematch be cemented into the calendar for later this year, the topic of ‘greasing’ will likely rear its head again closer to the occasion.

Magomed Ankalaev appears indifferent to the widespread criticism from MMA fans who perceived his recent performance as lackluster.

Ankalaev claimed the UFC light heavyweight throne this past weekend, narrowly defeating Alex Pereira via unanimous decision in the headlining matchup at UFC 313 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight remained tightly contested from start to finish. “Poatan” set the tone with a sharp opening round, but Ankalaev responded in the second, finding his rhythm and rocking Pereira with a thunderous left hand — arguably the biggest moment of the fight.

Despite his reputation as the superior wrestler, the Dagestani struggled to secure a takedown, failing on all his attempts. However, he compensated by relentlessly pressing forward, dictating the tempo, and trapping Pereira against the cage for extended stretches in the later stages of the fight.

Two judges scored the bout 48-47, while the third had it 49-46, all siding with Ankalaev. However, with several rounds feeling razor-close in real-time, many in the MMA community argued that while the newly crowned champ’s approach proved successful against Pereira, it often results in uneventful fights that lack excitement.

At the UFC 313 post-fight press conference, the newly minted UFC 205-pound champion addressed criticism of his fighting style, expressing confusion over why many label it as boring.

Instead, he shifted the blame toward “Poatan,” suggesting that the Brazilian’s cautious approach was the real reason for the lack of action.

“I don’t understand why people think that my fights are boring,” Magomed Ankalaev said. “Everybody thought that Alex Pereira, coming into this fight, was the most exciting striker in the division, and then you saw the way he fought against me. It seems as though when people come out and fight against me, they all become boring. You saw what he did, so it’s not just dependent on me — it also depends on the dance partner, on the opponent that I’m fighting.”

With his victory over Alex Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev extended his unbeaten streak to 14 fights — the third-longest active run in the UFC. Along the way, he has claimed wins over top contenders like Aleksandar Rakić, Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith.

The light heavyweight division has been given a major shake-up courtesy of Magomed Ankalaev.

In upset fashion, Ankalaev’s grappling proved to be too much for “Poatan,” as the Dagestani defeated Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion.

Pereira focused on leg kicks to start the fight, while Ankalaev looked to find a way inside. The challenger tried to increase his output and pressure past the halfway point of the first round, but Pereira continued to work the legs, chewing up Ankalaev’s right leg.

Ankalaev looked to pressure and take control right away in the second. And while Pereira continued to bother him with leg kicks, it worked in the Russian’s favor. The challenger found success with short strikes on the inside, including a powerful one that rocked Pereira moments before the end of the second round.

Ankalaev continued his advancement in a quiet third round, and though he couldn’t score a takedown, he continued to find success. The fourth was quiet as well, with the challenger overwhelming the defending champion against the fence a number of times, completely dominating him with grappling control.

The Dagestani then took this strategy into the fifth round, battling a last-ditch effort from Pereira, before the judges all gave the fight and title to him, with a 49-46 scorecard and two 48-47s.

Magomed Ankalaev Captures UFC Light Heavyweight Title With Decision Over Alex Pereira At UFC 313

Magomed Ankalaev continues to remain unbeaten since dropping his 2018 UFC debut. He’s now won three straight.

The Russian had battled Jan Blachowicz to a controversial split draw at UFC 282 in December 2022 — a fight that Blachowicz stated he thought Ankalaev deserved the nod and title in.

Meanwhile, Pereira’s reign comes to an end after winning the title with a finish of Jiří Procházka at UFC 295. He defended the belt three times last year against Jamahal Hill, Procházka, and Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 300, UFC 303, and UFC 307, respectively.