Ankalaev Says Pereira Landed a Lucky Punch and Their Feud Is Not Over

Magomed Ankalaev is not ready to close the book on his rivalry with Alex Pereira. In a new interview with Bostanov MMA, the former UFC light heavyweight champion said Pereira's win in their rematch came from a lucky punch and suggested his opponent's team knew he was carrying an injury into the fight.

Their first meeting in March 2025 left many fans puzzled by how little Pereira did. Ankalaev kept up constant pressure, won a unanimous decision and took the light heavyweight title. The rematch later that year went the opposite way: Pereira attacked from the start and stopped him with a first-round TKO to reclaim the belt.

Ankalaev's injury claim

Ankalaev said he thinks Pereira's side knew he had some kind of injury, and that no fighter had ever charged at him the way Pereira did that night. In his view, the fight would not have ended so quickly if Pereira had not known about the problem. He added that what happened could be called a lucky punch, that this was how Pereira beat him, and that in his view Pereira simply caught him at a bad time. A clip of the interview was also shared on X. "His business with me isn't settled at all."

Where things stand now

"Poatan" has moved up to heavyweight and faces Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335, after his bid for the interim heavyweight title ended with a stoppage loss to Ciryl Gane in June.

Ankalaev has won since the rematch. In July he headlined UFC Abu Dhabi and finished late replacement Bogdan Guskov after his original opponent, Khalil Rountree, was forced off the card with an injury.