Magomed Ankalaev admitted he didn’t expect Alex Pereira to display such strong defensive skills during their first encounter.
Ankalaev is set to make his first light heavyweight title defense in the headlining bout of UFC 320 tonight (October 4), taking on familiar rival Pereira at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The pair first met inside the Octagon at UFC 313 in March, where Ankalaev ended Pereira’s reign with a gritty unanimous decision victory to claim the 205-pound title. Throughout the five-round battle, the Russian standout showcased sharp counterstriking and also relied on his well-rounded grappling to stifle Pereira's trademark power.
However, Ankalaev’s wrestling proved ineffective, with “Poatan” stuffing all 12 of his takedown attempts. Looking back, the Russian champion admits he didn’t anticipate Pereira’s defensive prowess to be that strong.
Magomed Ankalaev Says Alex Pereira’s Takedown Defense Surprised Him
During a recent interview with UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, Magomed Ankalaev reflected on Alex Pereira’s takedown defense from their first clash at UFC 313.
While the reigning light heavyweight champion said he hadn’t fully tested his grappling, Ankalaev also confessed he was genuinely taken aback by “Poatan’s” ability to shut down his takedown attempts during their first clash at UFC 313.
I was surprised by his ability to defend the takedowns," Ankalaev said through an interpreter. "He’s got a really good defense, but I blame myself — it was not enough on my part because there were issues why I couldn’t wrestle the way I needed to wrestle. But yeah, a little bit surprised by how good his defense was.
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Magomed Ankalaev enters UFC 320 on a 14-fight unbeaten streak, with his sole defeat dating back to March 2018, when he lost to Paul Craig via third-round submission at UFC London.
Ankalaev holds a UFC record of 12-1-1 with one no contest, including six wins by knockout.
