Alex Pereira Brushes Off Ankalaev’s Camp Ahead of UFC 320 Rematch

Alex Pereira isn’t interested in verbal sparring. The former light heavyweight champion is focused solely on reclaiming his belt when he rematches Magomed Ankalaev this weekend in the main event of UFC 320 in Las Vegas.

In the build-up, Ankalaev’s coach Sukhrab Magomedov dismissed Pereira’s vaunted knockout ability, saying “Poatan” doesn’t actually hit that hard. The comments drew attention given Pereira’s reputation as one of the sport’s most feared strikers, with highlight-reel finishes across both kickboxing and MMA.

Pereira’s Response

Pereira, however, refused to take the bait. Speaking to reporters at Tuesday’s media scrum, the Brazilian shrugged off the criticism.

“For sure it’s just talk,” Pereira said. “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.”

High Stakes at UFC 320

This is Pereira’s chance at redemption after dropping the title to Ankalaev earlier this year. That loss halted his rapid two-division rise, but the rematch offers him an immediate opportunity to reclaim his place atop the 205-pound division.

For Ankalaev, the fight is a chance to cement his own legitimacy as champion and back up his camp’s words against one of the most accomplished knockout artists in combat sports.