Alex Pereira sends warning to Magomed Ankalaev ahead of UFC 313 fight: "This is the guy I'm really going to make fun of"
Alex Pereira has proven to have a duality of sorts. Inside the octagon, he's a stone-faced marauder striking fear in the hearts of men. Outside of it, he's a stone-faced jokester producing some of the most hilarious skits you'll see on social media.
If you put these two sides together, however, you might be looking at a new kind of nightmare. Imagine 'Poatan' beating the tar out of you while also trying to make people laugh.
This is exactly what the UFC light-heavyweight champion plans to do with his next challenger, Dagestani fighter Magomed Ankalaev, at UFC 313 in March. After months of trash-talk between the two, the fight finally got booked, and Pereira had a warning for his upcoming foe.
He told Ariel Helwani:
"If [Ankalaev] doesn't back up what he says, people have already seen me making fun of my other opponents. Sometimes I joke and stuff, but this is the guy I'm really going to make fun of."
Former Alex Pereira opponent believes Magomed Ankalaev shouldn't stand and trade with 'Poatan'
Magomed Ankalaev has been reiterating his insistence to go on a striking battle with Alex Pereira. Ankalaev, who has a wrestling background from Dagestan, Russia, is willingly choosing to go on a striking battle with perhaps the most dangerous striker in the sport today.
Many are not recommending this approach, particularly a man that 'Poatan' already knocked out twice in the past: former UFC light-heavyweight champ Jiri Prochazka.
When asked by Ariel Helwani in an interview if Ankalaev has any chance of beating Pereira, Prochazka said:
"I think, no. Especially if he [Ankalaev] fights - like he said - just in stand-up. Sorry, no. If Alex [Pereira] will be in his shape like what he showed in his last fight, 100% no."
Prochazka, who just knocked out fellow former champ Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 over a week ago, faced Pereira in 2023 and 2024. On both occasions, despite being competitive in some parts, he was ultimately stopped due to strikes. If anyone has a definitive description of how much of a dangerous game it is to stand and fight with 'Poatan', it's him.
Check out Jiri Prochazka's comments below (1:49:17):