Alex Pereira is asked how he’s preparing for
the Ankalaev fight:“I’m training, honestly, as if I were fighting any other guy.
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I think the only thing that changes is that he’s left-handed, but
that doesn’t make any difference.”🎥 @markbouris
#UFC313pic.twitter.com/zfk9wR7kJY— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
February 17, 2025
Alex
Pereira (12-2) claims the preparation for the upcoming fight
against Magomed
Ankalaev (19-1) is just like any other.
Pereira will put his light heavyweight title on the line against
Ankalaev in the main event at UFC 313
on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite being
undefeated in 13 outings since 2018, the title shot has evaded
Ankalaev up until now.
When Pereira last defended his title against Khalil
Rountree Jr., Ankalaev accused the champ of ducking him. They
have since been going back and forth, with Pereira claiming to have
asked for an Ankalaev matchup and the Dagestani claiming that the
champ was forced into it.
While many expect Ankalaev’s wrestling to pose the greatest threat
to Pereira so far, the Brazilian is unfazed. Pereira claims he is
approaching the matchup like any other, with the slight exception
of Ankalaev being a southpaw. Although Pereira hasn’t had the
chance to showcase much of his wrestling so far, the former Glory
kickboxing champ promises not to shy away when the need arises.
“I’m training, honestly, as if I were fighting any other guy,”
Pereira told Mark Bouris. “I think the only thing that
changes is that he’s left-handed, but that doesn’t make any
difference. I’ve been training jiu-jitsu and grappling for a while
now, and I’m doing really well, learning. I’m a dedicated guy, my
progress is really good, I’m happy with that and it’s going to be a
great fight.”
Ankalaev is coming off a unanimous decision win over Aleksandar
Rakic at UFC 308 in October, 2024. Meanwhile, Pereira is one of
the most active UFC champs, having defended his title three times
in less than a year after winning it against Jiri
Prochazka in November 2023.