Mar 8, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) fights Magomed Ankalaev (blue gloves) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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‘Poatan’ In Trouble? Magomed Ankalaev Claims Alex Pereira’s UFC 320 Training Is All Wrong As New Footage Emerges

Mar 8, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) fights Magomed Ankalaev (blue gloves) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Rematches in MMA often become obsessions for the losing fighter. The defeated champion replays every moment, studies every mistake, and builds an entire training camp around fixing what went wrong. And sometimes fighters get so focused on one aspect of their previous loss that they miss the bigger picture entirely.

Alex Pereira finds himself in this exact situation as he prepares for his UFC 320 rematch with Magomed Ankalaev on October 4th. The Brazilian striker lost his light heavyweight title to the Dagestani at UFC 313 back in March, and the defeat clearly stung. Pereira had been riding high as a two division champion before Ankalaev brought him back down to earth with a unanimous decision victory.

Now recent training footage has surfaced showing Pereira working extensively on his takedown defense. He has been practicing against multiple training partners in rapid succession. The clips have sparked debate among fans and fighters alike. But nobody has been more vocal about Pereira’s training approach than his upcoming opponent.

Magomed Ankalaev Mocks Pereira’s Wrestling Heavy Training Camp

Magomed Ankalaev didn’t hold back when he saw the training footage making rounds on social media. The footage shows Pereira drilling takedown defense against smaller training partners, which raises questions about his camp’s strategy. The current light heavyweight champion fired off a classic piece of trash talk that perfectly captured what many fight fans were thinking.

“This guy bring Punch Taxi driver to help him with Wrestling. You don’t need to worry about Wrestling, I’m gonna find this big head again.”

Magomed Ankalaev reacts to video of Alex Pereira working on his takedown defense ahead of their rematch

"You don’t need to worry about wrestling I’m gonna find this big head again." 😳👀 #UFC320 pic.twitter.com/beelfHz8ij
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 31, 2025

What makes Ankalaev’s mockery particularly cutting is the underlying truth behind his words. During their first encounter at UFC 313, wrestling played almost no role in the outcome. Ankalaev attempted a few takedowns early in the fight, but Pereira defended them successfully and forced the action to remain standing. The Russian champion won that fight through superior striking, better pressure, and smarter game planning on the feet. He outboxed the former kickboxing champion at his own game, which had to be incredibly frustrating for Pereira and his team. Those are striking problems that require striking solutions, not wrestling defense.

Pereira appears to be preparing for a wrestling heavy fight that probably won’t materialize. Meanwhile, Ankalaev is likely working on the same pressure boxing and cage cutting that gave him success in March. If Pereira shows up to UFC 320 with improved takedown defense but the same striking vulnerabilities, this rematch could end the same way as their first encounter. Or maybe, this is just a show from ‘Poatan’ to throw off his opponent. UFC 320 will answer this question on October 4th!

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

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!