Magomed Ankalaev has accused UFC champion Alex Pereira of avoiding him for a showdown. The Dagestani’s name had stood out among the likely contenders to fight ‘Poatan’ for the light heavyweight title. However, Poatan’s recent exchange with boxing star, Anthony Joshua had Anakalaev fuming on social media.
Alex Pereira recently chatted with heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua. He suggested the 37-year-old UFC champion to potentially explore boxing down the line. Ankalaev did not like this which was why he took to X to express his dismay.
@AlexPereiraUFC One more Ufc champion want to run to boxing because he knows he’s going to lose his belt next.
Magomed Ankalaev on X
Alex Pereira reacted positively to Joshua’s suggestion, asking him for recommendations for a potential opponent. The Brazilian established himself as a successful kickboxer with a glorified career before he ever stepped into MMA. Pereira was the middleweight and light heavyweight Glory champion before he became the double champion in the UFC.
@AlexPereiraUFC One more Ufc champion want to run to boxing because he knows he’s going to lose his belt next
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) July 7, 2024
Pereira was recently seen on video sparring heavyweight boxer, Demsey McKean. He has also explored the possibility of moving up to heavyweight to fight top contenders like Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones. Meanwhile, Magomed Ankalaev has been pushing for a showdown with the Brazilian for a while now, being the only top contender in the division with a win in his last fight.
Magomed Ankalaev is not interested in fighting Jiri Prochazka
Jiri Prochazka recently came off his second title loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 303. In an interview with Televizninoviny, Prochazka talked about his next steps in the division. While the former champion still wants a trilogy fight, he named Jan Blachowicz, Jamahal Hill, and Magomed Ankalaev as the contenders he would like to fight next in the division.
Jiri Prochazka (Via X)However, it looks like Magomed Ankalaev is not interested in fighting the former champion. He sent out a tweet on X addressing Prochazka’s statement. Ankalaev wrote that the former champion was too small and that he should instead head to the middleweight division.
Prochazka’s coach, Martin Karaivanov, had previously suggested that Procházka might move to the middleweight division following his recent losses to Alex Pereira. Karaivanov saw this potential move as a positive step and a fresh start for Prochazka. It will be interesting to see whether the Dagestani gets the fight of his choice anytime soon.
!
