As successful as Alex Pereira since taking control of the Light Weighs Division of the UFC, there is still a notable test with which it has not yet been confronted.
It would be the competitor of 205 pounds Magomed Ankalaev, who should be pulled on the title of Pereira at the UFC 313 on March 8 in Las Vegas. It is a fight for Ankalaev to campaign, and which promises to present fresh stylistic challenges for the champion of light heavyweights Pereira.
But if he believes that the fight for the title was slow to materialize, said Pereira, it was not by his.
“I called my managers and I said,” Look, put me on a fight next month, whatever the case, and I want to fight Ankalaev “,” said Pereira through a translator on “The Ariel Helwani Show from Non-Couronne”.
“They made this fight happen, and (I am) which train me hard. Ankalev and his people say things here and there, but at the end of the day, I looked at his training, I I saw himself fighting.
Before Pereira lost his title of 185 pounds and did not make the weight in 2023, the 205 pound belt was a hot potato among several different owners. The injuries to several champions finally left the UFC 282 as a scene for a vacant title fight between Ankalaev to the former champion Jan Blachowicz.
Ankalaev and Blachowicz fought for a majority draw, and none had the title since. Subsequently, Blachowicz welcomed Pereira to the Division of light heavyweights during a loss of decision shared, while Ankalaev returned to the column of victories with victories against Johnny Walker and Aleksandar Rakic.
Pereira, 37, has won her many MMA distinctions almost entirely with her shot. Until now, from its light heavy clashes, Blachowicz has proven to be the most difficult for Pereira – the former champion using his grapplings and his disassembly to force a close competition against the decorated Brazilian.
Due to its perceived capacity to implement a similar match plan, Ankalaev was hailed as a stylistic nightmare for Pereira. The ratings agreed, opening with Pereira as the oppressed of bets.
“I don’t care,” said Pereira about the chances. “I always continue to do my job. The guys can say that you are the oppressed, not the oppressed – I don’t care how much we are going to be on the chances. So I just do my job.
“It is difficult to predict how the fight will happen. I cannot predict it. N ° 2 (option). I live my best time at the moment.”
The division continued to fluctuate while Pereira awaits his battle with Ankalaev. More recently, Jiri Properzka and Jamahal Hill – both former champions who suffered defeats against Pereira – clashed at the UFC 311 in early January, with Propzka winning via the HighLight -Reel coup.
Pereira has already beaten next time, winning the two fights with emphatic knoccouts. Nextzka used his post-combat interview at the UFC 311 to ask the champion a third blow, to which Pereira said that it was open in the future.
“I’m going to fight it, I’m going to fight Jamahal, I’m going to fight anyone,” said Pereira. “I’m going to fight the guy three times, five times, 10 times, it doesn’t matter. (If) people want to see the guy, I’m wanting to fight. I’m going to fight (him).”
On the other hand, Hill was more hostile to Pereira since their first meeting in the main event of the UFC 300 last April.
Hill has a reputation as an impetuous and frank fighter, whatever the opponent. Although Pereira had a Memorable meeting with him at the UFC Performance Institute Shortly before Hill’s last defeat, the champion insisted that he had no pleasure in the recent fall of Hill.
“I was not happy to see him lose,” said Pereira. “I saw that Jamahal had more power than (nextzka) in the fight. He was able to connect more punches in a different way. I just looked at the fight as if it were another fight. If I could choose the way the fight would end, it would be by decision.
“Honestly, he actually seemed to be a nice guy. He speaks because he has to sell the fights, he must do his business. Because honestly, I think that if he didn’t speak much, I don’t think that He is where he is.
Pereira’s fight against Ankalaev will be his fourth defense of the title at Light Heavyweight. After that, “Poatan” could be on larger things – perhaps in a literal sense in heavy goods vehicles.
(Tagstotranslate) Alex Pereira
