“He needs to change…” Magomed Ankalaev warned ahead of Alex Pereira super fight by ex-rival

Alex Pereira has remained the undisputed king of the UFC light heavyweight division for some time now. Expectedly, the champion has attracted a variety of threats from other top contenders. Big names like Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz are eager to get their title shot going into 2025. 

Magomed Ankalaev recently fought Aleksandar Rakic, which he won via unanimous decision. However, many fans were underwhelmed by the Russian fighter’s performance. Blachowicz recently reviewed that fight and questioned Ankalaev’s chances against Alex Pereira. 

If Ankalaev fights like he did in his last fight with Rakic, he’s gonna lose [to Alex Pereira]… He needs to change. When he fights, he wants to win but doesn’t want to take punches—this way won’t work with Pereira.

Jan Blachowicz via Home of Fight 

Ankalaev, who was vocal about his intention to KO Rakic, delivered a less-than-exciting performance. Both fighters seemed hesitant to engage, leading to a rather dull fight. Despite this, Ankalaev has continued to call out Pereira, but his recent performance has raised doubts about his ability to secure a victory.

👀Jan Blachowicz believes Magomed Ankalaev is not good enough to beat Alex Pereira:

“If Ankalaev fights like he did in his last fight with Rakic, he’s gonna lose [to Alex Pereira]… He needs to change. When he fights, he wants to win but doesn’t want to take punches—this way… pic.twitter.com/0KJysO5LYA

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 15, 2024

Since becoming the champion of the light heavyweight division last year, Pereira has dominated the division. The Brazilian fighter has defended his belt thrice in a record seven months, and has knocked out all his opponents. However, many, including Jan Blachowicz, are doubtful about the UFC’s alleged special treatment of Pereira.

Jan Blachowicz questions UFC’s conspiracy to protect Alex Pereira 

Alex Pereira has turned out to be a massive asset for UFC since his debut in 2021. The kickboxing legend has an incredible personality which has attracted millions of fans. Apart from that, the Brazilian’s fighting style and knockout power have made him a global superstar. 

Jan Blachowicz talks about Alex Pereira (via Imago)

Over the last few years, Pereira has been part of some incredible pay-per-view events. Given the opportunity, many fans were disappointed that the promotion made him fight Khalil Rountree. Many experts and fighters, including Jan Blachowicz publicly expressed their confusion. 

No fu**** Idea. I don’t know. I’m confused. I’m like what the f***. I feel like special protection for Pereira. 

Jan Blachowicz via Home of Fight 

However, Rountree managed to put up an incredible performance and shut down a lot of his haters. However, it wasn’t enough to stop Pereira, who managed to continue his dominance. Now, Magomed Ankalaev is expected to take on the impossible task and fans look forward to this clash. 

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