Magomed Ankalaev appears dismissive of Alex Pereira’s charity wager ahead of their title showdown.
Ankalaev is set to challenge reigning light heavyweight champion Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old Dagestani has long campaigned for his shot at gold, and the prolonged booking has only added fuel to the fire. Bad blood has been brewing, with both fighters engaging in heated social media exchanges, openly dismissing each other in the lead-up to their showdown.
On Sunday, “Poatan” threw down a challenge to Ankalaev and his manager Ali Abdelaziz on social media, urging him to back up his words with action. He proposed a high-stakes wager, stating that the victor should contribute $200,000 to a charity selected by the opponent.
“Since you are so confident you will win, $200,000 to the winners charity of choice. Win or lose this will help those in need. It’s in your hands,” Pereira wrote on X.
Ankalaev, a devout Muslim, scoffed at Pereira’s challenge, emphasizing that betting is strictly forbidden in Islam. He further stated that if he were to make any charitable donations, he would do so privately rather than seeking publicity.
“As a Muslim you know betting is forbidden in Islam, and also as a Muslim every year I have to give 2.5% of my wealth to charity this is one of the five pillars of Islam. Many kids around the world are in need and we can do things after the fight but we don’t have to publicize it,” Ankalaev responded.
Ankalaev then advised Pereira to leave the matter in the hands of their managers.
“Your manager and my manager have a good relationship and we can let them handle that, see you soon. Ramadan Mubarak.”
Ankalaev enters the bout riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak. He last competed at UFC 308 in October, where he secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over Aleksandar Rakic. The former WFCA champion previously competed for the 205-pound title against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022, with the bout ending in a majority draw.
Meanwhile, UFC 313 will mark “Poatan’s” fourth light heavyweight title defense. He last defended his crown in October at UFC 307, where he secured a dominant fourth-round knockout victory over Khalil Rountree Jr.
