Magomed Ankalaev hopes to face Alex Pereira in a striking battle at UFC 300 following his impressive win at UFC Vegas 84.
On Saturday, January 13, Ankalaev headlined the first UFC event of the year when he met Johnny Walker inside the UFC APEX. Despite having a grappling advantage, the number three-ranked light heavyweight made a statement by purely striking with Walker.
In the second round, Ankalaev landed a clean right hand and followed up with a devastating uppercut while Walker was on the ground, leading to a knockout win. During his post-fight press conference, the Russian title contender had this to say about his performance:
“I could’ve come out here today and wrestled against Johnny Walker. I could’ve taken him down right away and won with my ground and pound on the ground, but instead, I wanted to send a message. I wanted to stand out, and I wanted to knock him out. That’s what I did.”
Ankalaev’s win against Walker caught the attention of former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira, who is now retired and coaching Alex Pereira. Teixeira reacted to the UFC Vegas 84 main event with the following message on Twitter:
“Great knockout. We will see u soon. #UFCFightNight”
Great knockout. We will see u soon. #UFCFightNight
— glover teixeira (@gloverteixeira) January 14, 2024
During the previously mentioned press conference, Ankalaev was asked about Teixeira’s comments and potentially fighting Pereira. The Dagestan native responded by saying:
“For Glover Teixeira, I have a message. Don’t waste your time trying to teach your student how to wrestle or grapple. He’s not gonna need it. I’m gonna come out there, I’m gonna stand across from him, and I know that he’s been knocked out before as a middleweight, so imagine what’s going to happen if I meet him in light heavyweight. Trust me, he’s not gonna feel comfortable there.”
Watch Ankalaev respond to Teixeira’s comments below:
Magomed Ankalaev responds to Glover Teixeira's shoutout and breaks down a potential matchup against Alex Pereira #UFCVegas84 pic.twitter.com/M2iI7e20P3
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) January 14, 2024
Magomed Ankalaev voices interest in fighting Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 main event
On April 13, the UFC will return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 300. As the highly-anticipated event quickly approaches, fans have been eager to see who will headline the spectacle, as most superstars and champions are booked for a different date or not available.
During his UFC Vegas 84 post-fight press conference, Magomed Ankalaev was asked about potentially fighting Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 main event for the light heavyweight title. Ankalaev provided a short and confident response:
“Of course I’m ready. I’m just waiting for the message that I’m going in.”
Magomed Ankalaev made his UFC debut in March 2018, losing against Paul Craig by third-round submission. Since then, Ankalaev won nine consecutive fights before a weird two-fight stretch that involved a split draw against Jan Blachowicz and a no-contest against Johnny Walker.
At UFC Vegas 84, Ankalaev reminded the MMA community that he’s not only dangerous but also potentially the best light heavyweight fighter on the planet.
Watch Ankalaev talk about potentially fighting Pereira at UFC 300 below:
Magomed Ankalaev says he's interested in fighting Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title in the #UFC300 main event🧐
Is this the fight to make? #UFCVegas84 pic.twitter.com/uNWpZOlOnc
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) January 14, 2024
