Pereira vs. Ankalaev, Finally!
Are Poatan’s days of out-striking opponents with minimal grappling kickback over?…
During the UFC 311 broadcast this past weekend, fans, including myself, were delighted when Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev was announced.
Following months of back-and-forth comments on social media and in multiple interviews, the reigning light heavyweight champ, Pereira, is finally scheduled to defend his coveted gold against the rightful contender, Ankalaev, at UFC 313 on March 8.
It’s a fight that should arguably have been booked two light heavyweight title defenses ago, but as the old saying goes, “Better late than never.”
The main talking point of Poatan defending his throne versus the formidable Ankalaev isn’t the online beef, though. It’s the fact that Pereira, known for his striking, is now facing a complete opponent who will enter the octagon with a significant wrestling and grappling threat.
Are Poatan’s days of out-striking opponents with minimal grappling kickback over?
Alex Pereira will face Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title at UFC 313 in Las Vegas, UFC announced. pic.twitter.com/VgWULhgGwD
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 19, 2025
Pereira Is Refining His Grappling Skill Set Ahead of UFC 313
We’re just over two months out from UFC 313, but will this give Pereira enough time to sharpen his wrestling abilities? UFC news reports have revealed that the knockout artist is training with a former Olympic wrestler, Geovanis Palacios, who’s also an unbeaten MMA-pro holding a 7-0 record.
Combat Sports publication Championship Rounds shared training clips of Pereira and Palacios on X, with some fans now speculating that the Russian challenger to Poatan’s title is doomed.
“Magomed is fu*cked,” one fan commented.
Magomed Ankalaev says Alex Pereira picked the date for his “death certificate” at #UFC313 😳 pic.twitter.com/woG2kpAkpQ
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 20, 2025
While we must admire Pereira’s fan base, a less biased side of the MMA community doesn’t see his training as giving him much of an advantage in UFC fights.
“No matter how much he trains for grappling, it’s still out of his skills because someone who’s been training it their whole life compared to someone who’s done it for a year is a big difference,” another fan wrote.
Alex Pereira working on his grappling ahead of the Magomed Ankalaev fight 👀💪
🎥 IG / fightingnerds #UFC313 #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/7LTkVXXMtC
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 21, 2025
Pereira’s Grappling Deficiencies
Let’s be frank; since moving to 205lbs and becoming the division champion, the UFC schedule has handed Pereira a lot of winnable fights. This was likely by design, and who can blame them? Poatan has been one of the UFC’s fastest-rising stars, so placing the former two-weight world championship-winning kickboxer against opponents who love to strike makes a lot of sense when looking to boost his superstar status.
Sean Strickland keeping it real about Alex Pereira 😂 pic.twitter.com/TYHebNynck
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) January 22, 2025
This has, however, affected some genuine title contenders, including Ankalaev, who’s been a top-3-ranked fighter for some time. This ranking didn’t stop the UFC from placing Pereira in a clash with a No.8-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr. in the champ’s most recent defense. Prior to this, he fought Jiri Prochazka (twice) and Jamahal Hill, two fighters who also prefer to engage on the feet.
Alex Pereira knocks out Jamahal Hill (2024)
📸 @jeffbottari pic.twitter.com/MaUsCjsceh
— Fight Pics That Go Hard (@fightpicsgohard) April 14, 2024
However, the fun and games of striking wars could be reaching their conclusion, and no matter how much training Pereira gets on the mats, there’s no denying Ankalaev’s clear path to victory is behind the grappling threat and certainly a viable one to dethrone the Brazilian star.
Sure, Pereira is a fast learner; he transitioned from kickboxing to MMA and became a two-division UFC champ within 10 pro bouts. The guy has become a legend in no time, but when you realize Israel Adesanya, a fellow kickboxer and former 185lb foe, was able to land a takedown on Pereira and eventually defeat him by KO, it’s hard not to place Ankalaev as a real serious threat to his current reign.
Alex Pereira’s elite striking highlights 👏🙌 pic.twitter.com/bxE08aeQWM
— Viktor El (@Viktor3El) January 21, 2025
I will say that Pereira, as the underdog in UFC odds and with a swarm of doubters, does create the potential for a monumental moment should he be able to flatline Ankalaev at UFC 311, and I think I speak for most fans when I say that’s the most desired outcome!
CHAMA!
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