Magomed Ankalaev’s Coach Doubts Alex Pereira Fights at UFC 310
Alex Pereira turned some heads when he responded to the rumors by posting a phone emoji on social media. Magomed Ankalaev responded by also posting the same emoticon. While the social media posts have gotten fans excited, Ankalaev’s coach, Sukrab Magomedov, has his doubts.
Here’s what Magomedov recently had to say (via Meta MMA):
Magomed Ankalaev’s coach says he’s ready and willing to fight Alex Pereira at #UFC310, but they doubt Alex will take the fight 😬
“This is all just talk. There has been no official offer. We are ready to perform on December [7]. Magomed has no problems with a visa…
There are… pic.twitter.com/wwrcLusNZV
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 1, 2024
“This is all just talk. There has been no official offer. We are ready to perform on December [7]. Magomed has no problems with a visa… There are doubts about Pereira’s desire, because he recently said that he plans to complicate our path to the title.”
It’s hard to blame Pereira if he doesn’t end up taking the fight in December. “Poatan” had a 2024 run that saw him save UFC cards by accepting late-notice fights. If he were to accept the fight with Ankalaev and win, then he might lock up “Fighter of the Year” just when fans thought Ilia Topuria stole it.
Ankalaev is certainly the deserving number one contender. He’s also no stranger to title fights, having had a split draw against Jan Blachowicz back in 2022. While White was none too pleased about that bout, he told reporters that he was impressed by Ankalaev’s efforts against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308.
