Alex Pereira does not like the timing of his potential match against Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi.
Pereira recently defended his light heavyweight title for the first time with a brutal round 1 knockout victory over Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300. Ankalaev then claimed he was offered a title fight against “Poitan” at UFC 300, but turned it down. He was during Ramadan. Ankalaev also called up Pereira for a fight in Abu Dhabi, considered home for many Russian fighters. Ankalaev questioned Pereira’s chin in a social media post and predicted a first-round knockout.
@AlexPereiraUFC
vs me abu dhabi
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM)
April 14, 2024
@AlexPereiraUFC
Congratulations, stop in the first round by knockout @Dana White
@mickmaynard2
that guy has no chin
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM)
April 14, 2024
The UFC’s annual pay-per-view card in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to be retired on October 26th. But Pereira, who is considering a move to heavyweight, would like to fight sooner if he is to defend his light heavyweight title next.
“I don’t want to fight at the end of the year, I want to fight sooner, maybe that shows.” [Ankalaev] You won’t be ready.I don’t know why he said that, this man is complicated,” Pereira recently told MMAFighting.com.
“To be honest, we need to figure out what’s best. I’m here to fight, but I’m not sure what’s best or anything else. [to
fight] And where is not. If I have to fight there I will fight, but if it’s not the date I want, it’s not what’s best for me. I can say no. “
Ankalaev is undefeated in his last 12 fights, coming off a knockout win over Johnny Walker in January.
