“Dedicate the Whole Camp”: UFC Fans Urge Alex Pereira to Sharpen Ground Game Ahead of Magomed Ankalaev Showdown

As Alex Pereira prepares to face Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March, fans are concerned about one major aspect of his game: grappling. While Pereira has been an absolute force in striking, particularly with his elite kickboxing background, his grappling and ground game remain untested.

Fans believe this could lead to disastrous consequences when he defends the light heavyweight title next.

One fan succinctly commented, “Dedicate the whole camp on grappling and cardio!” echoing the sentiment that Pereira’s game could be more well-rounded with a greater emphasis on wrestling and takedown defense.

“The entire camp should focus on wrestling and grappling,” another fan suggested. Others have faith in his coach, Glover Teixeira, with some fans noting, “Glover’s coaching and grappling are severely underrated”. They believe that Pereira’s grappling could improve significantly under his guidance.

It will have to if he wishes to continue being a champion.

Ankalaev had earlier promised to stand up and strike with Pereira but tactics are often changed in the middle of the fight. Pereira has proven he can go into the championship rounds without much fatigue. So, if Ankalaev has watched any of Pereira’s fight tapes, he would know it would be thoroughly witless to try and strike with him for 5 rounds.

There’s a good chance, he goes for takedowns the moment Pereira connects the first strike. Ankalaev is quite adept at keeping the fight on the ground for long periods of time. And if that is the case, it would not bode well for the light heavyweight champion. Hence, the insistence on using the entire camp to work on grappling!

While some have confidence in Pereira’s ability to close these obvious gaps, others remain skeptical. One fan recalled his struggles in his previous fight against Israel Adesanya, saying, “His grappling with Adesanya was the WORST grappling I’ve ever seen in the UFC.”

However, there’s a growing consensus among fans that if ‘Poatan‘ can develop solid takedown defense—similar to what fighters like José Aldo have done, he’ll become a nearly unstoppable force in the octagon.

Whether or not that happens is entirely dependent on how much time and resources Pereira is willing to spend on it.

Ankalaev, on the other hand, looks laser-focused on what he believes is vengeance.

Ankalaev’s not pulling any punches

Ankalaev hasn’t tasted defeat since March 2018. For almost a year now, he has been declared the #1 contender for the title. Despite this, he had not even been able to secure a face-to-face with Pereira. He had been calling Pereira out, almost regularly but the champ was busy saving PPVs by fighting strikers on short notice.

During this time, Pereira had also given an interview, asserting that he would make Ankalaev wait for a title shot since he had been disrespectful.

Now, with the title bout confirmed, Ankalaev has warned him about what’s to come when the cage door closes between them.

“You just signed your death certificate. I’m gonna punish you for ducking me, and I’m gonna make you look like a guy working in a tire shop, not a professional fighter.” 

Hopefully, Pereira is actually spending a good chunk of his camp just grinding it out on the ground. Because if he is not, it will be a long night and he will find out that trying to get out of a mount can be far more exhausting than calculated striking!