Ali Abdelaziz, the longtime representative of Magomed Ankalaev, recently opened up about the true extent of his fighter’s struggles before stepping into the cage for his rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 320. The revelation paints a picture of a man fighting not just an opponent, but his own limits.
Battling through pain before the rematch
Ankalaev’s rib injury was far worse than many realized. According to Abdelaziz, the former champion entered the fight after nearly six weeks without proper training.
“Ankalaev did not train for almost 40 days coming into this fight,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “He came from Dagestan with messed up ribs and he sparred three times. Every time we had to stop the sparring. UFC knew about it. He was getting injections, he was getting cortisone, he was getting stem cell.”
Instead of full-contact work, Ankalaev could only manage light drills.
“The only thing he did for 40 days was run, jump rope, hit mitts, and do conditioning,” Abdelaziz continued. “He barely did any sparring. He did zero wrestling, zero grappling. And, you know, I hope the UFC will appreciate what he done for them to keep the main event going on.”
Choosing to fight anyway
The decision to compete despite the injury was one that Abdelaziz admits he tried to prevent.
“I was begging him not fight, but he did not listen to me,” he said. “Begged him. We win together, we lose together. But sometimes when it takes you this many years to become a champion, you know the UFC is not gonna give you no favor here. And he stepped up for the company, and I hope they remembered it.”
Ankalaev went on to lose the rematch by knockout early in the first round, just months after defeating Pereira by decision to claim the light heavyweight belt at UFC 313.
Abdelaziz believes his fighter is still among the best in the division.
“I think he’s one fight away, honestly, from a title shot,” he said. “He’s 1-1 with Alex. Alex did what he had to do. He won. And now Ankalaev has to go out there and remind people why he was the best guy in the world. I still believe Ankalaev is the best guy in the division, and I think Carlos Ulberg should be next.”
Even with the loss, Abdelaziz insists the story isn’t over. Ankalaev’s willingness to fight under those conditions, he says, speaks volumes about his loyalty and drive. In a sport built on toughness, few reminders stand out more clearly than the image of a champion pushing through forty painful days just to step back into the Octagon.
