Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Magomed Ankalaev (blue gloves) reacts during the fight against Jan Blachowicz (red gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC News: Magomed Ankalaev fires back at Alex Pereira, confirms he is next in line for the LHW title shot!

Magomed Ankalaev unleashes his hidden trash-talking power, revealing to Alex Pereira what he is worth actually!

Trash talk and social media banter have become as much a part of the sport as the fights themselves. The latest verbal sparring match has erupted between top UFC light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev and champion Alex Pereira. This interaction brought back memories of the iconic Conor McGregor’s interaction with Michael Chandler.

Magomed Ankalaev is sporting an impressive 13-fight unbeaten streak and isn’t just letting his fighting do the talking anymore. The Russian fighter has transformed from a quiet force into someone who knows how to grab headlines, and it’s pretty refreshing to see this new side of him.

“@AlexPereiraUFC you going to do what you been told. You are an employee. See you soon.”

@AlexPereiraUFC you going to do what you been told. You are an employee. See you soon.
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) January 11, 2025

Pereira’s had quite a run in 2024, defending his title three times and building himself into one of UFC’s biggest stars. But Magomed Ankalaev is not impressed. With a record of 19-1-1 and fresh off victories over Aleksandar Rakic and Johnny Walker, he’s making it clear he’s not just another contender.

While Pereira’s been talking about moving up to heavyweight to challenge Jon Jones, Ankalaev’s been steadily climbing the ranks, knocking on the championship door. Despite Pereira’s apparent reluctance, word on the street is that UFC is working on making this fight happen.

Also Read: Who Is Diego Lopes Fighting Next?

What Kicked Off The Drama Between Alex Pereira And Magomed Ankalaev?

The drama kicked off when Alex Pereira dropped a simple yet provocative four-word bomb on social media. He hinted that the top contender Magomed Ankalaev won;t be the one he was fighting next.

“It won’t be Ankalaev.”

It won’t be Ankalaev ! 😭
— Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) December 19, 2024

This statement from Pereira apparently infuriated Ankalaev, who had been waiting for his shot for quite some time. Some may even argue that he was denied the shot multiple times, the most recent of which was swapping him in favor of Khalil Rountree.

Magomed Ankalaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, jumped into the fray, too, backing his fighter’s claim to the title shot. For someone who usually lets his fists do the talking, he is showing he can throw verbal jabs with the best of them as well.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Magomed Ankalaev

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!