Ankalaevโฃ Says Pereira‘s Claims of Being Avoided at โขUFC PI Have Cost โHim Respect
LAS VEGAS – Magomed Ankalaev โhas publicly stated he’s lost respect forโ Alexโ Pereira following allegations that ankalaev intentionally avoided him at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. The UFC light heavyweight champion addressed the situation Thursday, asserting Pereira’sโฃ claims are falseโ and that he directly confronted Pereira about them.
Ankalaev explained that whileโฃ he previously held Pereiraโ in high โregard,the accusations have changed his perception. “Honestly, up until recently, I hadโ respect for him as a fighter and as a person,” Ankalaev told MMA Junkie and other media through an interpreter. “I no longer respect him because, OK, trash talk is something โto hype up the fight, maybe you say something funny, or to be salty, but when you lie to peopleโฃ and say, ‘I saw him, and he hid,’ and stuff likeโค that he recently said, I don’t respectโฃ people like that. Why would you lie about something that never happened?”
The โanimosity reportedly stemmed from Pereira’s assertion that Ankalaev deliberately evaded โhim at โคthe UFC PI.โ Ankalaev countered that he encountered pereira,accompanied by his coach,while Pereira was with his team. He stated he directly challenged Pereiraโฃ on the claims. โ
“The problem here is โthatโข he was talking all this crapโ just aโ fewโ days ago, and then todayโ I saw him -โ it was just me and my coach and him and his whole team – โคIโ approached him andโค I said, ‘Hey, guys. You were lying that I was hidingโค and stuff. I’m right here right now. What are you going to do?'” Ankalaev recounted.โข “he respondedโ by saying,’Oh this girl said that,this guy said that,’โ and he starting making stuff up onโค the โขspot.”
Ankalaev emphasized his willingness to engage physically if Pereira escalates the โขsituation. “I have noโค problem, but say he gets close to me nextโข week and โdecides to get too close to me, of course, I’m going to defend myself. Other then that, we’llโ see everything in the cage.”
The two fighters are scheduled to compete for the UFC light โheavyweight championship โin โคtheโข main event of โคUFC 320 on October 4.