The tension between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev shows no sign of cooling down.
Ahead of their main-event clash at UFC 320 this Saturday, Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) responded to Ankalaev’s accusations that the Brazilian fabricated details about their recent encounter at the UFC Performance Institute.
Speaking after open workouts for this week’s pay-per-view, “Poatan” dismissed Ankalaev’s claims and went a step further, accusing the light heavyweight champion of having someone else write his social media posts.
"I don't know why he's saying that because that's 100 percent what happened," Pereira told reporters through an interpreter. "That just goes to show you it's not him writing online. It's not coming from him. What happens is somebody else is somewhere else writing for him, and then he comes here and sees me. Maybe he thought I don't want to face him right now, and I'm alone. But that's 100 percent what happened."
Ankalaev dethroned Pereira to claim the light heavyweight title when they met at UFC 313 in March. Now, as they prepare for an immediate rematch at T-Mobile Arena this Saturday, tensions between the two continue to rise.
"I try to avoid conflicts with my opponents," Pereira said. "I even try to be friendly with them afterward. You've seen this before. I've talked about training with past opponents. I don't really know what it is. He used to say a lot, that I was running away from him, that I didn't want to fight him. That's never happened. We all know the UFC didn't want to promote that fight. That's never what it was. I have no problem with him. I always try to be friendly and avoid conflict."
Pereira’s loss to Ankalaev marked his eighth UFC appearance in just two and a half years—and his seventh title fight. After one of the most remarkable runs in promotional history, the 38-year-old could be forgiven for underperforming on that night. But instead, he insists the setback has only reignited his fire, and he now has his sights set on reclaiming the 205-pound title this weekend.
"It's a little frustrating to watch that, but I have watched it back," Pereira said. "I think I've gained a lot of strength. I'm in a much better position now. I've prepared myself much better. It's good to be able to go back and do it again."
