“Glover Teixeira is really experienced in stuff like this” - Magomed Ankalaev’s coach accuses Alex Pereira of greasing in their UFC 313 fight
Magomed Ankalaev’s coach, Sukhran Magomedov, accused Alex Pereira of cheating by greasing in their title fight at UFC 313.
Ankalaev fought for the light heavyweight title against Pereira on March 8. In a back-and-forth five-round affair, the Dagestani dethroned ‘Poatan’ to become the new 205-pound king. The judges scored the bout 46-49, 47-48, 47-48 in favor of Ankalaev.
However, fans and fighters alike were amazed by Pereira's takedown defense. Ankalaev attempted a total of 12 takedowns, but all were unsuccessful throughout the bout. Many credited former two-division champion and coach Glover Teixeira for the 37-year-old's takedown defense.
In his recent appearance on Ushatayka, however, Magomedov raised accusations that Pereira may have been greased before the fight. He highlighted his fighter's claims that Pereira smelled like ointment. The Dagestani’s coach accused Teixeira of potentially playing a role in this tactic, stating:
“When Magomed pushed him to the fence near our corner, it seemed to me that Pereira was greased with something. Ankalaev said afterwards that he smelled like he had some ointment on and was sticky. The sweat didn’t flow off his body, it gelled up. That’s what it looks like, on his body too… Glover Teixeira is really experienced in stuff like this.”
Check out Sukhran Magomedov’s comments below:
That being said, there is no proof to support the accusation against Pereira yet. If found guilty, the former light heavyweight champion may face serious repercussions.
Alex Pereira vows to make adjustments for a rematch against Magomed Ankalaev
Following his title loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, Alex Pereira took to Instagram to issue a statement. Pereira expressed his gratitude toward his team and vowed to make adjustments for a potential rematch, stating:
"I'm here with my people, my family, my team, my children. Everyone's here. Everyone's here with me. Gonna have some pizza. That's that. Life continues. Thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team. Gonna make some adjustments for the rematch, and I'll be back better. You can count on it. All good, everyone. Never give up on your dreams. Chama."
Check out Alex Pereira's comments below:
Talks about the rematch are already underway, and Magomed Ankalaev has revealed that he has verbally agreed to a second showdown against Pereira.