Magomed Ankalaev’s short-lived UFC 320 rematch with Alex Pereira has taken a new twist. According to his longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz, the Dagestani fighter was dealing with serious pre-fight problems that made him less than 100 percent on the night. Abdelaziz believes the matchup should have been called off, though Ankalaev ultimately insisted on competing.
The bout took place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and ended just 80 seconds into the opening round. Pereira came out aggressive, landed a sharp left hand followed by a barrage of punches, and regained his light heavyweight title in emphatic fashion. It was a dramatic reversal from their first meeting at UFC 313 earlier this year, where Ankalaev had outpointed Pereira over five rounds to become champion.
Abdelaziz Backs Ankalaev and Hints at Camp Problems
Abdelaziz shared his thoughts shortly after the fight through a lengthy message posted online. He started by giving Pereira and his team credit for their victory but made it clear that Ankalaev had been carrying unseen burdens into the Octagon.
“Saturday night, Magomed Ankalaev fought Alex Pereira. In the rematch, and Alex Pereira won. Congratulations to him and his team. I know his coaches, managers, and always show them respect. I don’t know Alex personally. But, I am Team Magomed Ankalaev. Whatever I can do to help him, I will do it.”
By opening his statement this way, Abdelaziz aimed to separate competitive respect from personal loyalty. He emphasized that while Pereira earned the win, his focus remains on supporting Ankalaev through setbacks.
The manager then addressed some of the criticism surrounding Ankalaev’s performance and online reactions, clarifying how he and the fighter operate.
“As long as I don’t insult someone’s family, religion, or his nation. Everything Ankalaev said on his social media, he approved it. And if I did help him, it was his knowledge. But, at the end of the day, we are in a fighting business. As long as no one speaks about you in a bad way, or your family, or your nation.”
This part of his statement reflects Abdelaziz’s frustration with negative narratives that often follow fighters from regions like Dagestan and the Caucasus. He wanted to make it clear that any words posted online are ultimately Ankalaev’s, and not manufactured by his management team.
Abdelaziz also responded to those questioning his own credibility and involvement, including comments Pereira made earlier in the week.
“About me doing sports or not doing sports, this is irrelevant. But, I have two black belts in Judo and Jiu-Jitsu under Master Renzo Gracie. And I also competed in Judo and MMA. But, in reality, this is not about me and Alex. This is about Magomed Ankalaev and Alex.”
By bringing up his martial arts background, Abdelaziz was pushing back on accusations that he inserts himself too much into his fighters’ situations. He redirected the attention back to the two athletes in the cage.
Camp Issues and Regret Over the Fight
Finally, Abdelaziz hinted at the deeper problems Ankalaev faced during training camp. Though he didn’t provide specific details, his words made it clear that Ankalaev wasn’t in an ideal state to compete.
“Alex was the best man on Saturday night. And we take our losses like men. We move on. I don’t have any problems with Alex. I respect everything he accomplished. There’s a lot of things happened with Ankalaev in his camp. But, it’s for him to talk about. Not me. And if I need to talk about it, I will talk about it.”
“If it was up to me, he should never have fought due to some things. But he’s a grown man, he makes his own decisions, and he lives by his actions. Congratulations to Alex and his team.”
This is the strongest part of Abdelaziz’s statement. He implies Ankalaev’s issues were serious enough that, from his perspective as a manager, the fight shouldn’t have gone ahead. Ankalaev, however, made the final call to compete anyway.
Abdelaziz closed his remarks by addressing critics, particularly those who react strongly whenever fighters from Ankalaev’s region win or lose in the UFC.
“And for all the sorry-ass fan, every time somebody from the Caucasus region, or the Middle East, Dagestan, Chechnya, get a UFC title, they all freak out. You win some and you lose some. That’s part of this game. Alhumdullalah for everything.🙏”
Abdelaziz didn’t specify the nature of Ankalaev’s pre-fight problems — whether physical injuries, illness, or personal matters — leaving that decision to Ankalaev himself. The Dagestani contender issued a short message after the loss but did not expand on what happened behind the scenes.
Before UFC 320, Ankalaev had not been defeated since his UFC debut back in 2018, boasting a 14-fight unbeaten run that included a draw and a no-contest. This recent setback not only ended that streak but also raised questions about his preparation and decision to fight despite potential complications.
