In anticipation of the upcoming UFC 320 bout, Alex Pereira is set for a rematch with Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title. However, Ankalaev’s team, including his coach, doesn’t believe Pereira has what it takes to win.
Recently, Sukhrav Magomedov mocked Pereira, calling him an old kickboxer and claiming he doesn’t have the skills to win his belt back. Despite the trash talk, Pereira remains undisturbed and is paying no mind to outside noise.
“For sure it’s just talk,” Pereira told reporters at a pre-fight scrum on Tuesday. “He saw it in my fight with Ankalaev, but he also saw it in all the other fights. Even the ref said that in 30 years he’s never seen anything like it. But that’s good. Let him think that. He’ll be in for a surprise.
“When those videos come out, I skip through it. I don’t watch the other guy. I don’t watch any of his stuff. I watch what I’m doing. I’ll watch my fight with him, but I don’t want to hear about what he’s doing. I don’t want to see what he’s doing.”
Aside from the verbal jabs, the two nearly had a confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute last week. However, despite the animosity brewing, Pereira insists this is not the biggest fight of his career. Poatan maintains that his win over Israel Adesanya remains the highlight of his career, even if he defeats Ankalaev in their rematch.
“I don’t think [it will be more satisfying],” Pereira said when asked about beating Ankalaev. “Nothing compares to that win over Adesanya, with the whole history in kickboxing, everything that I went through. A lot of people think sometimes to promote a fight, you’ve just got to say a lot of things and have this animosity, and that’s not what it is. You’ve got to have that history, that background, and so [Ankalaev] is doing it all wrong.”
For now, the Brazilian star is focused on his bout with Ankalaev. In recent interviews, Pereira was asked if he still plans to move up to heavyweight, but he says that decision is still under consideration.
“I really don’t know. We’ll have to see,” Pereira said. “Obviously, my body gets heavier. I don’t know how long I can cut to 205. We’re just going to have to see and take it fight by fight.”
Alex Pereira enters UFC 320 looking for revenge and aiming to end Ankalaev’s 14-fight unbeaten streak inside the Octagon.
