Alex Pereira’s walkout is the stuff of nightmares. The eerie music, the imaginary bow and arrow—it’s a scene straight out of an action movie, and for anyone standing across from him, it’s got to be terrifying. But here’s the twist: every time Pereira steps into the octagon, he feels a little bit of that fear himself.
Well, maybe not fear exactly, but nerves. Turns out, even one of the scariest fighters in the UFC isn’t immune to that pre-fight tension. But hey, can you blame him? It’s not like he’s been facing off against multiple former world champions or anything. Just guys like Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Israel Adesanya—you know, no big deal!
In a conversation with Mark Bouris, the hottest name in the UFC was asked which opponent scared him the most. To this, he replied, “All of them. No one in specific, I am scared of all of them. I feel the same way about all of them. I can not name one. Obviously always nervous a lot of times, but to a point where I can control.”
Fear has long been a powerful motivator, pushing individuals beyond their perceived limits. In “The Dark Knight Rises,” there’s a memorable scene where an old prisoner explains to Bruce Wayne that the child who escaped the pit did so without the safety rope, embracing the fear of death to make the impossible leap. This narrative underscores how humans are evolutionarily designed to excel in the face of primal fear.
Similarly, ahead of his fourth title defense at UFC 313, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Pereira is as prepared as he possibly can be. Is there a possibility that Ankalaev outwrestles him to a title win? It wouldn’t be mixed martial arts if the Dagestani challenger didn’t have a puncher’s chance.
Pereira, however, remains unfazed, and in contradiction with himself, unafraid!
Pereira prepared for wrestling challenge
While Pereira has been carving through the division, Ankalaev has been relentless in his pursuit, making it clear that he’s coming for the belt.
The Dagestani contender has been vocal, accusing Pereira of “ducking” him and playing games instead of focusing on the fight. At, UFC 312 where the fight was officially announced, Ankalaev sent a chilling message: “Brazil, sorry for what I’m gonna do to your boy.”
He followed up by claiming, “I never wanna hurt someone in my life like I want hurt Alex“.
I never wanna hurt someone in my life like I want hurt Alex
He is a fake humble boy— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) February 9, 2025
But Pereira? He’s unfazed. The champ remains cool as ever, keeping his usual training routine and brushing off Ankalaev’s threats. “I’m training how I always train. Nothing has changed except that he’s left-handed,” Pereira told Bouris.
He’s also confident in his ability to handle Ankalaev’s grappling-heavy style. “I have a lot of experience with grappling as well. I’m not scared. I’m ready to go,” he added, citing help from his mentor and former world champion Glover Teixeira.
It should be noted that though the tag Dagestani comes up with a wrestling pedigree in the UFC, Ankalaev is simply not as proficient as his lighter-weight-class counterparts like Islam Makhachev or Umar Nurmagomedov. While his style still remains heavily focused on a ground game, Ankalaev likes mixing it up with some steady striking.
