Alex Pereira makes honest admission about blocking Magomed Ankalaev fight: "All the lies that he said"
Alex Pereira is one of the UFC's most popular fighters. However, the Brazilian has been accused of avoiding a fight with Magomed Ankalaev by some fans. Ankalaev previously competed for gold against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282, with the fight being ruled a draw.
After most recently defeating fellow contender Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308, the former title challenger is on the cusp of another shot at the light heavyweight belt. But Pereira has recently admitted to intentionally making it difficult for the Dagestani fighter to secure a fight against him.
The Brazilian pointed to the "lies" that Ankalaev has spread about him online as the main reason for his agenda to frustrate the No.1-ranked light heavyweight contender.
'Poatan' was in attendance for the annual World MMA Awards, held on Dec. 5, where he was interviewed by MMA Junkie about potential facing Ankalaev next. He said:
"Like I said before, it comes down to my choice. I want to make it harder for [Ankalaev] because of all the lies that he said about me. Let's see what's next."
Catch Alex Pereira's comments about Magomed Ankalaev below (2:30):
Pereira was crowned the 2024 MMA Fighter of the Year following a career-defining three-fight title reign. 'Poatan' knocked out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, before securing a second KO win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303. He followed that up by handing Khalil Rountree Jr. a TKO loss at UFC 307, rounding off three title defenses in seven months.
Alex Pereira reflects on near-brawl with Jamahal Hill at UFC Performance Institute
Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill competed at UFC 300, but following the result it appears that 'Sweet Dreams' is unable to let go of his defeat. The former champion has remained adamant that Pereira got lucky against him, and has gone back-and-forth with fans online numerous times over the result.
The pair recently crossed paths at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where a brawl nearly took place as 'Poatan' threw a pair of boxing gloves in the direction of Hill and challenged him to a fight.
Footage of the incident was captured by Full Send MMA, who posted this on X:
During Pereira's aforementioned interview with MMA Junkie, he was asked to comment on the incident with Hill. 'Poatan' said:
"I'm focused on myself, focused on my thing. Right now he should be worried about his next fight." [3:18-3:27]