Alex Pereira’s Next Opponent Could Be Magomed Ankalaev, No Move to Heavyweight Division

For months, Alex Pereira has been the center of ‘ducking’ debates, with accusations flying against the Brazilian powerhouse avoiding a fight against Magomed Ankalaev. However, after multiple callouts from the Russian contender and speculation swirling online, it seems Pereira will now have the opportunity to put those allegations to rest.

According to Ariel Helwani, Pereira’s perceived move to heavyweight will take at least six months, so the plan is to have him defend the light heavyweight title first.

Ankalaev, a technical yet ferocious fighter, has consistently made his case for a shot at Pereira. The champ, on the other hand, had been rather adamant about not allowing Ankalaev a shot at the title.

He had, of course, blamed it on the UFC and claimed that nobody wanted to watch him fight due to his ‘boring’ style of fighting.

But now, assuming Helwani’s report is true, Pereira has answered the call. Ankalaev is widely considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, blending a well-rounded wrestling game with fluency on his feet. This is something Pereira has yet to contend with during his time with the UFC.

The light heavyweight champion defended his title thrice last year but all of it was against strikers, none of whom attempted a takedown at any point during their matches. So Ankalaev will be the first true test Pereira will have against quality grappling, something he needs to be ready for, especially since his endgame is fighting Jon Jones at some point.

Jones has long made it known that he would rather fight Pereira than try to unify the heavyweight title against Tom Aspinall. Pereira himself has asserted that the fight was inevitable.

However, Jones is also one of the best MMA grapplers the sport has ever seen. He’s so good that bossman Dana White has been hesitant to put Pereira inside the octagon against him.

But if Pereira could prove that he can stand his ground against someone like Ankalaev, White may perhaps change his mind and allow the mega-fight to go ahead.

‘Poatan‘ understands this and in order to prepare, has recruited the help of a fellow Brazilia fighter, Caio Borralho to work on his grappling.

Poatan is locked in

When interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall was asked about how he would deal with Pereira, the Brit simply claimed he would run across the octagon and tackle him to the ground to deal with him on his back.

It seems Pereira is well aware of this narrative about fighting on the ground being his kryptonite and is working diligently to change it. Over the past year, the Brazilian has been sharpening his ground game, training with some of the best grapplers in the sport.

He’s been wrestling with Olympian Mackenzie Dern, whose jiu-jitsu credentials are among the best in MMA, training Judo with two-time Olympic god medalist Kayla Harrison, and rolling with Caio Borralho, a rising UFC star known for his grappling-heavy style.

Whether it’s takedown defense, scrambles, or submissions, Pereira seems to have been left with little to no choice as he embraces his fourth title defense against the most accomplished wrestler in the light heavyweight division.