Magomed Ankalaev says he ignored pullout calls before Pereira loss
Ankalaev told CBS Sports his team advised him to withdraw from UFC 320 before Alex Pereira knocked him out in 80 seconds.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Magomed Ankalaev says he was told to walk away from his rematch with Alex Pereira before UFC 320, then paid for choosing to fight anyway.
The former light heavyweight champion, speaking through a Russian interpreter in an interview with CBS Sports, said members of his team advised him not to go through with the bout in the weeks before his first title defense. Ankalaev said he felt well enough to compete and made the call to stay on the card.
“I was told to drop out of the fight and not take the fight,” Ankalaev told CBS Sports. “But I felt alright. I felt like I was capable of doing it. You have to pay for your mistakes. That's what I did.”
The decision preceded a brutal result: Pereira knocked him out in 80 seconds, reclaiming momentum in a rivalry that had already swung once in Ankalaev’s favor.
A costly call before UFC 320
Ankalaev had beaten Pereira by unanimous decision in their first meeting to win the UFC light heavyweight title, according to CBS Sports. The rematch at UFC 320 was his first defense, and it ended fast.
After the fight, combat sports reporter Leo Guimaraes reported that Ankalaev had competed with a broken rib. Guimaraes also shared videos showing a doctor examining Ankalaev, according to CBS Sports.
Ankalaev did not use the injury talk as an excuse in his CBS Sports interview. He said the choice was his, and so were the consequences.
“I took the fight, and I didn't pull out,” Ankalaev said. “I ended up paying for my mistake. But it's not the end. It's not like I lost everything. I'm still in the game, and I'm still active. I will get what's mine.”
He is scheduled to return nine months after the Pereira loss, facing Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, CBS Sports reported.
Pereira’s own injury debate
CBS Sports noted that the buildup to the Ankalaev-Pereira rematch had already included plenty of focus on Pereira’s health before their first fight. Pereira’s 80-second knockout in the rematch strengthened his side of that discussion.
Ankalaev told CBS Sports he sees how quickly attention shifts in the sport after a defeat. He said fighters are celebrated after victories, then quickly forgotten once they lose, adding that the reaction has left him “puzzled.”
Pereira later vacated the light heavyweight title after avenging his loss to Ankalaev, according to CBS Sports. He then moved up in pursuit of a third UFC championship, interim or undisputed, in a different division.
That bid took him to the White House South Lawn in June, where he faced heavyweight Ciryl Gane. CBS Sports reported that Gane stopped Pereira by second-round knockout.
Ankalaev told CBS Sports he expected Pereira’s move up to be difficult, especially against Gane, whom he described as a real heavyweight with speed and technique.
Pereira recently told CBS Sports he is looking at a November return at heavyweight. Ankalaev, though, would like him back at light heavyweight at some point so they can settle their series with a third fight.
“If it were up to me, I'd love for him to come back to his division so we can have our rubber match,” Ankalaev told CBS Sports.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.