Magomed Ankalaev 'Didn't Put Much Effort' into His 12 Failed Takedown Attempts Against Alex Pereira
Today at 08:13 PM
Taking down Alex Pereira turned out to be a tough task for Magomed Ankalaev.
Headlining the promotion’s return to T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Ankalaev captured his first world title, defeating ‘Poatan’ via unanimous decision to capture the light heavyweight championship at UFC 313.
Throughout the five-round affair, Ankalaev managed to outstrike the Brazilian boogeyman while racking up over five minutes of control time against the fence. But one thing Ankalaev couldn’t do was muscle Pereira to the ground, going 0-12 on takedown attempts.
Speaking with Kolos on MMA following the biggest win of his career, Ankalaev lauded Pereira’s strength but made sure to add that he didn’t put much effort into trying to score takedowns during the fight.
“He’s pretty strong physically,” Ankalaev said. “I knew it was going to be hard to take him down, and I didn’t put a lot of energy into taking him down either. I knew everything was going according to plan.”
Magomed Ankalaev is ready for immediate rematch with ‘poatan’
What comes next for Magomed Ankalaev is yet to be announced, but all signs are currently pointing toward an immediate rematch with Pereira.
"The negotiations are ongoing." Magomed Ankalaev told Ushatayka earlier this week when asked about running it back with Pereira following UFC 313. "At the moment, I don't know who will be next for me. But we agreed instantly. If they want a rematch, we are ready."
A clash with No. 2 ranked contender Jiri Prochazka is also on the table, but with Ankalaev, Pereira, and even UFC CEO Dana White insisting on an immediate rematch, it’s all but guaranteed that the Dagestani’s first title defense will be against the very many he told the gold from in ‘Sin City.’
