Two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira has labelled Magomed Ankalaev a ‘coward’ and ‘s*** champion’ ahead of their UFC 320 rematch.
Ankalaev and Pereira are rematching in the UFC 320 main event for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title on October 4 in Las Vegas.
Alex Pereira Labels Magomed Ankalev A ‘Coward’
Former two-division UFC champion and pound-for-pound star Alex Pereira has ripped into Magomed Ankalev ahead of their rematch at UFC 320 on October 4.
The Ankalaev vs Pereira rematch headlines the UFC 320 fight card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with another title fight in the co-main event.
After beating Pereira via unanimous decision at UFC 313 when they fought earlier this year, Ankalaev is putting his UFC Light-Heavyweight Title on the line in their rematch.
Since their first fight, both Pereira and Ankalaev have gone back and forth on social media, which made it fairly awkward when the pair crossed paths at the UFC Performance Institute recently.
‘Poatan’ has revealed that the 205-pound champion was hiding from him at the UFC PI, stating that he was scared to bump into the Brazilian:
“He was hiding. The guy [Ankalaev] hid in a little room, man. The fact the guy hides in a room because I’m in the same place as him, ah man, he’s a chump. He’s a chump,” Pereira told his YouTube channel.
Although Pereira is confident of winning back the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title at UFC 320, UFC betting sites have listed Ankalaev as the pre-fight favourite to make a successful first defence of his 205-pound belt.
That being said, ‘Poatan’ is confident that their recent meeting has shown how the champion is afraid of him.
Alex Pereira Calls Ankalaev A ‘S*** Champion’ Ahead Of UFC 320 Rematch
Alex Pereira’s next fight could well be the biggest of his career to date. Although Magomed Ankalaev mightn’t hold the name value of some of the other huge UFC stars, a second consecutive loss for ‘Poatan’ could spell the end of huge fights for him.
However, if he wins and wins in style, Pereira would be firmly back on track. A win could mean a potential super-fight with Tom Aspinall for the UFC Heavyweight Title next year, attempting to become the first three-division UFC champion in history.
But first, the 38-year-old must win back the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title in his rematch with Ankalaev. Ahead of their rematch at UFC 320, the Brazilian has labelled the Russian as a ‘coward’, but has also accused him of being a ‘s*** champion’.
In the latest episode of his own YouTube channel, Pereira made no secret of his feelings of his light-heavyweight rival:
“What kind of champion is that man? A s*** champion. I know that’s harsh, but he’s a s**ty champion. Not because of what he says, but for hiding in a room today. He’s shown he’s a coward, man.
“We’ll see. Hiding now. We’ll be locked in a cage. Locked in there, unless he jumps the fence. He’s a s**ty champion this guy,” ‘Poatan’ concluded.
UFC 320 is a huge night of MMA action, topped off by a compelling rematch for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title. If Pereira can avenge his loss to Ankalaev and write the wrongs of their first fight, he could well be in for a mammoth year in 2026.
Watch this space.
