Magomed Ankalaev is ready to win gold at the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
After dropping a unanimous decision to Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi last Saturday, Ankalaev set his sights on light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. The Dagestani standout has been calling for a fight with ‘Poitan’ for quite some time and it would be hard to deny him being the No. 1 contender in the division after his recent win.
“Let’s do it. Alex, stop running away from me. … I’ve heard you want to fight during Ramadan. We’re not fighting during Ramadan. Otherwise, after Ramadan or Ramadan If he says yes before, we will fight him,” Ankalaev said at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference.
Ankalaev admitted that there was talk of facing Poitan at UFC 300, but a deal was never signed and the fight never materialized. Instead, Pereira defended his belt by stopping Jamahal Hill in the main event of the night. Most recently, the former Glory two-division champion defeated Rountree by fourth-round TKO in the UFC 307 headliner on October 5th. While ultimately competitive, Rountree was a surprising choice of opponent given his standing in the weight class. Ankalaev believes the promotion may have given Pereira an advantage in matchmaking due to his interesting fighting style.
“I think he’s being protected. I don’t know why the UFC would do something like that,” Ankalaev said. “I think they’re guarding him. We know he’s an exciting fighter. We know he fights stand-up. He’s a great striker. So they I think I’m just saving him and protecting him.”
Ankalaev is currently undefeated in his last 13 fights, with a draw against Jan Blachowicz and a no-contest against Johnny Walker being the only blemishes on his record during that time. During a session with the media, UFC CEO Dana White hinted that the Gorets Fight Club representative would be the next No. 1 contender in the 205-pound division.
“He had a good look on his face,” White said. “He looked really great. I have to say yes” [he gets the next title shot]”
For Ankalaev, the title is more important than getting a chance to face Pereira, who has expressed interest in both a return to middleweight and a move up to heavyweight in recent months.
“I don’t care who I fight in this division. I’ve already fought all the top fighters,” Ankalaev said. “I don’t care if Pereira goes to heavyweight. I’ll fight anyone in the UFC. Whoever the UFC puts in front of me, it’s going to be fighting for the title. I guess.”
