Alex Pereira drops bombshell, discloses Magomed Ankalaev's alleged refusal to fight him for 205-pound title after UFC's open offer
Alex Pereira recently dropped a massive bombshell as he disclosed that Magomed Ankalaev refused to fight him for his light heavyweight championship. He claimed that the promotion gave him an open offer, but instead awarded Khalil Rountree the title shot when the Dagestani turned it down.
The light heavyweight title situation has received plenty of criticism from top contenders Jamahal Hill and Jan Blachowicz after Rountree earned the title shot despite being the No.8 ranked contender. Many believe Ankalaev is the most deserving at the moment, but he is already booked to fight Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26.
Championship Rounds tweeted a clip from a video 'Poatan' uploaded to his YouTube channel, where he blasted the Dagestani for turning down the fight against him. Pereira mentioned that he initially expressed interest in fighting Ankalaev but the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight refused. He said:
"A lot of people ask me, I always wanted to fight against [Magomed] Ankalaev. I threw that to the organization, left it very clear, but Ankalaev didn't want to fight against me...If it was the location, if he just didn't want to. He isn't the champion, he can't pick anything. I think it's the opportunity that shows up, he didn't want it...I'm not scared of anyone...He made things difficult, but I'll come across him soon."
Check out Alex Pereira's comments below:
Alex Pereira and Magomedov Ankalaev are competing in the same month
It's important to note that part of the reason why there was criticism regarding Khalil Rountree challenging Alex Pereira for his title is because Magomed Ankalev is competing in the same month.
'Poatan' vs. Rountree is scheduled to headline UFC 307 on Oct. 5, while the Dagestani fights Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Oct. 26. Depending on the result of their respective bouts, the promotion won't have a difficult time booking Pereira vs. Ankalaev as the timing would work in their favor should they both win.
Check out Dana White announcing the card for UFC 307 below: