Magomed Ankalaev is vowing to make Alex Pereira pay after their highly anticipated title fight was officially confirmed.
Ankalaev is primed to challenge reigning light heavyweight champion Pereira in the main event of UFC 313, set to take place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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For Ankalaev, his long-awaited second title shot has been a journey months in the making, as he has been calling out "Poatan" ever since the Brazilian champion successfully defended his title against Jiří Procházka at UFC 303 this past June. However, the MMA promotion took an unexpected turn by booking Khalil Rountree to face Pereira at UFC 307 in October, only adding to the Russian's mounting frustration.
Subsequently, Ankalaev was matched up with Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308, where he delivered a dominant performance to further cement his status as the top contender for the title. Pereira cheekily teased him on social media, suggesting he had other opponents in mind for his next challenge. This sparked a wave of speculation from several fans and even the former title challenger himself, with many claiming that "Poatan" was attempting to sidestep their inevitable showdown.
Following the announcement of their matchup during the UFC 311 broadcast this past weekend, Pereira took to X to deliver a message to his future opponent, writing, "See you soon, Ankalaev."
Ankalaev wasted no time firing back at Pereira, issuing a menacing ultimatum and mocking his past as a tire shop worker. He vowed to make the 205-pound champion regret allegedly stalling their upcoming bout.
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"You just signed your death certificate. I’m gonna punish you for ducking me, and I’m gonna make you look like a guy work in a tire shop not professional Fighter." Ankalaev wrote on X.
The 32-year-old Dagestani further asserted that he is far better prepared for this bout than Pereira.
"Alex Pereira, he goes to all UFC fights to get free alcohol and get camera time. On the other hand, I’ve been training so hard. March 8, alcohol won’t help you. CHAMA."
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Ankalaev is on an impressive 13-fight unbeaten streak, having secured two victories last year. He contended for the vacant light heavyweight title against former champion Jan Błachowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022, which ultimately ended in a draw.
Meanwhile, Pereira enjoyed a remarkable 2024, successfully defending his title three times, with each victory punctuated by a spectacular knockout.