Is Alex Pereira Overlooking Magomed Ankalaev?
If you ask any UFC fan to name the biggest stars in the UFC, chances are the current Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira is on that list. Alex Pereira has taken the UFC by storm. The former Glory Kickboxing Middleweight Champion made his UFC debut in 2021. In four years, Pereira won both the UFC Middleweight Championship and the Light Heavyweight Championship. With knockout wins over other UFC stars such as longtime rival Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, and Jiři Procházka, there’s no questioning how Pereira has become such a fan favorite. However, after the recent ways the Light Heavyweight Champion has carried himself in the lead-up to his fight with Magomed Ankalaev, many are wondering if the stardom has gotten to his head.
Alex Pereira will defend his Light Heavyweight Championship against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, on March 8th. Magomed Ankalaev is seen by many to be Pereira’s toughest test in the division. Ankalaev is a solid striker in his own right, but his physically imposing wrestling is something the champion has yet to face. Since moving up to light heavyweight, only one fighter has attempted to use wrestling against Pereira.
Alex Pereira defeated former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz by split decision at UFC 254. Blachowicz, who came into the fight with a clear advantage in the wrestling department, racked up three takedowns and seven minutes of control time on Pereira. Even though Pereira got the split decision nod from the judges, this fight showed a hole in his game that challengers could exploit. Luckily for Pereira, every opponent he has faced after Blachowicz has been a striker. Magomed Ankalaev, however, is considered to be the best wrestler in the division.
With a clear disadvantage in wrestling, you would assume Alex Pereira has been working tirelessly on his ground game. Many on the other hand, including UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, are starting to wonder if that is truly the case. Cormier has raised concerns over Pereira’s preparation, or lack thereof, for his championship fight. The former double champion specifically questioned whether it was a good idea for Pereira to corner former opponent Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Cormier discussed how Magomed Ankalaev is training every single day, and so should Pereira.
Besides preparation concerns, fans believe Alex Pereira might be looking ahead to a superfight. UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has been adamant about a fight with Pereira. The fight, if made official, would draw massive amounts of money not just for the company, but for both fighters as well. Pereira has since discussed his interest in this fight on multiple occasions. Alex Pereira has been very confident in the wake of his upcoming title defense, and he has every right to be. On the other hand, Magomed Ankalaev is unlike anything Pereira has ever seen before and is the clear-cut number-one contender. If Magomed Ankalaev can win the Light Heavyweight Championship, many will point to Alex Pereira’s preparation and training regimen as a massive mistake.
