Magomed Ankalaev’s team is stirring up drama after his big win over Alex Pereira at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. His coach, Sukhrab Magomedov, says Pereira might have cheated by greasing up his body to wiggle out of wrestling moves. Ankalaev took the light heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision victory after five tough rounds at T-Mobile Arena. Now Magomedov is pointing fingers, saying something felt off when Ankalaev tried to take Pereira down during the fight.
The Greasing Claim
Magomedov spilled the details in a chat with Ushatayka.
“To be honest, the plan from the beginning was to engage in wrestling, get close, in the clinch, wear him down,” Magomedov said. “But, when Magomed pushed him to the fence near our corner, it seemed to me that Pereira had some kind of substance on him. If my experience isn’t wrong, that’s what I’d say was the case.”
He thinks Pereira used something to make himself slippery, messing up their game plan to grind him out.
Magomedov didn’t stop there.
“The sweat didn’t flow off his body, it gelled up,” he added. “That’s what it looks like on his body, too. Magomed said afterward that he smelled like he had some ointment on and was sticky.”
Ankalaev tried 12 takedowns in the fight, but Pereira stopped every single one. Magomedov believes this weird stickiness might explain why Ankalaev couldn’t get a good grip to wrestle him down.
Pointing at Pereira’s Team
Magomedov also took a jab at Pereira’s crew.
“Let’s not forget that Glover Teixeira is a veteran of the game and knows all the tricks,” Magomedov added.
Teixeira, a former UFC champ and Pereira’s coach, has been around forever. Magomedov hints he might have taught Pereira some old-school moves like greasing, which fighters use to make their skin slick and tough to hold.
UFC 313 was a huge night. Ankalaev beat Pereira with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, snagging the title from the Brazilian star. Pereira had ruled the light heavyweight division since 2023, knocking out big names like Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill. Ankalaev, from Russia, stayed cool on his feet and mixed it up, ending Pereira’s hot streak. This win stretched Ankalaev’s unbeaten run to 13 fights.
What’s Greasing?
Greasing means putting stuff like lotion or gel on your body to make it hard for opponents to grab you. It’s against UFC rules, but some say it’s happened before. There’s no proof Pereira did it yet, and his team hasn’t said anything back about these claims. Fans are split, with some thinking it’s just sour grapes from Ankalaev’s side after a clean win.
