UFC fighter Matt Brown has expressed concern for UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira ahead of his title defense against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313.
Brown points out that Pereira’s new level of stardom and increased media attention might distract him as he prepares for the fight. Since his third title defence, Pereira has been in the spotlight, signing his first movie contract and preparing to appear in the film *Onslaught*. The fighter also took time off from training camp to tour the world and cornered Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Although Pereira reiterates that he is fully focused on his upcoming bout, veteran fighter Matt Brown believes that Pereira won’t be the first to be distracted by the limelight and success.
“Absolutely possible [he’s distracted],” Brown said on the latest episode of *The Fighter vs. The Writer*. “He doesn’t come across as the type to do that, but it’s 1,000-percent possible because the way you train to get to the top is completely different from when you’re there.
“He didn’t have distractions coming up. And, he won GLORY championships and everything, but he didn’t have a ton of popularity at the time. Now, he’s getting hit from all angles. His mind, there’s no way it’s in exactly the same spot with the same hunger, and Ankalaev has a lot to prove here. He’s the underdog. A lot of people are probably writing him off, and he feels like he’s been shortchanged this whole time—having to work so much to get the title shot and feeling like Alex was kind of ducking him. I doubt that he was, but it is what it is. Yeah, he’s fighting a guy who’s hungry as hell.”
Ankalaev is considered one of the toughest fighters in the light heavyweight division. He was originally set to face Pereira, but *Chama* went on to face Khalil Rountree Jr., while Ankalaev fought Aleksandar Rakic. Pereira is widely known for his striking and knockout power, but Ankalaev is known for his wrestling and grappling. Brown believes Pereira may not be fully prepared for this aspect of Ankalaev’s game.
“Alex has weaknesses, and he needs to put in a lot of work to address those weaknesses,” Brown explained. “I don’t want to take away from anything he’s done, but he’s had favorable matchups. He hasn’t faced great wrestlers, jiu-jitsu guys, or strong grapplers yet. We know he has these weaknesses. What he needs to do to continue to rise is put in the same amount of time and energy into his grappling that he put into his striking for all those years, becoming a GLORY two-division champion.”
Brown continued, “Because he has to recognize that this time is going to come. He’s had favorable matchups, and I’m not saying that to take away from his incredible run—it’s been fascinating and amazing. But we’d be fools to deny that his matchups have been favorable. He needs to be putting that same energy into turning those weaknesses into strengths or at least minimizing them. It’s hard to believe he’s doing that while juggling all these other things, like whatever it is he’s doing in Australia. That’s where I would fear it the most.”
Brown believes Pereira has faced favourable matchups so far, with opponents playing to his strengths. However, he feels the champion might face difficulties in the cage when encountering Ankalaev, who is well-versed in a variety of skills. Pereira’s near-invincible status will be put to the test, and Brown fears that any lack of preparation on Pereira’s part could cost him dearly.
“I’m not going to say he’s going to get exposed at some point, but it’s going to be tested at some point,” Brown said. “I don’t doubt that Ankalaev is going to try to test it. It’s in his best interest to do so.
“Ankalaev doesn’t get the hype that other guys get. That’s all it is—hype. If you look at it objectively on paper, or just watch the style, Ankalaev is not going to be an easy matchup. That doesn’t mean Alex won’t go out there and catch him early like Jamahal Hill and pop him. You know what happens when Alex lands a clean shot—it’s always bad news for the other guy. But if you’re Ankalaev, you’re hungry. This is your chance. You haven’t gotten the recognition you deserve. You haven’t gotten the hype. Everybody’s writing you off, and all the betting odds are against you. That’s only going to fire you up even more.”
Brown believes this fight will be a true test for Pereira, showcasing whether he is worthy of all the hype and helping to improve his fighting skills. While Brown isn’t fully convinced Ankalaev will win, he expects it to be a close match. This will be the first time Pereira faces an opponent who is truly a worthy challenge, and Brown feels it might be the wake-up call he needs.
“I’m going to stick with Alex,” Brown said. “I think those distractions might catch up to him, and they might show in the fight. He might not perform as well as he should. The problem with Ankalaev is that he’s just not a finisher. If he wins, it’ll probably be by decision, and I think that’s a tough route to take against Alex.
“I’m not as confident in Alex as I’ve been in the past. There have been many fights where you think, ‘Bro, Alex has got this in the bag.’ I don’t have any real doubts about it. This time, I’m not totally confident in my pick, partly because of the distraction issue, but also because Ankalaev is just that good.”
Although the bout might seem like any other title defense, Brown believes that a decisive victory would solidify Pereira’s status as one of the top fighters in the sport. However, a loss to Ankalaev could pose a serious threat, raising questions about the toll that external distractions can take on a fighter’s focus and performance.
