Magomed Ankalaev vows to stand and trade with Pereira, while throwing shade at ex-middleweight champ Israel Adesanya!
The MMA world has always had its share of bold claims and confident declarations, but this one might take the cake. Magomed Ankalaev, the pressure fighter from Dagestan, has been steadily climbing the light heavyweight rankings. He has never been known for mincing his words, especially when it comes to talking about Alex Pereira.
His latest statement, delivered through his manager Ali Abdelaziz, has raised more than a few eyebrows in the MMA community. Ankalaev has been patiently waiting for his shot at the light heavyweight crown, and after a string of wins, he is finally within striking distance of champion Alex Pereira.
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Alex Pereira is arguably one of the most decorated strikers in UFC history, with a kickboxing record that would make most fighters consider a career change. We’re talking about a man who finished Israel Adesanya – once in kickboxing and once in MMA – something that seemed almost impossible given Adesanya’s own striking credentials.
Now, here’s where things get interesting and perhaps a tad ambitious. Through his manager, Magomed Ankalaev declared that not only does he plan to stand and trade with Pereira, but he also took a swipe at former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
“Ankalaev, what he told me, he said, ‘I’m not wrestling with [Pereira]. I’m gonna show everybody. Izzy can’t even wash my boots in striking. I’m gonna knock Alex Pereira out. Get the respect I’ve deserved for a long time.’ It’s a long task to strike with [Pereira] and knock him out. But I believe Ankalaev can do it,” said Abdelaziz via MMA Junkie.
While most fighters would be planning to wrestle with Pereira (a perfectly sensible strategy given the champion’s relatively newer relationship with grappling), Ankalaev wants to beat the knockout artist at his own game. Conventional wisdom says this is a bad idea, but if the fighter believes it, there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Magomed Ankalaev’s confidence is admirable, though some might call it borderline crazy. His manager, Abdelaziz, doubled down on the bold talk. At this point, fans have got to wonder if there’s something in the water at their gym or if they truly believe they have figured out the puzzle that is Alex Pereira’s striking game.
(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)
