Surging mild heavyweight contender, Magomed Ankalaev stays a powerful betting favourite to finish the dominant reign of Alex Pereira at 205lbs – with the Russian confirming plans to lure the Brazilian to an overdue showdown as quickly as Could subsequent.
Ankalaev, who most not too long ago featured at UFC 308 final month, delivering a forgettable unanimous choice shutout win over fellow European contender, Aleksandar Rakic within the pair’s formally billed title eliminator.
As for former two-division champion, Pereira, the Sao Paulo knockout artist most not too long ago headlined UFC 307 once more final month, defending his mild heavyweight crown for the third time this 12 months alone – within the type of a knockout win over Khalil Rountree.
Magomed Ankalaev stays betting favourite to beat Alex Pereira subsequent 12 months
And linked with a possible title protection towards former vacant gold chaser, Magomed Ankalaev subsequent, Brazilian fan-favorite finisher, Pereira is a present +120 betting underdog to efficiently defend his crown towards the -140 betting favourite Russian. And whereas Pereira has proved dominant throughout his mild heavyweight reign – will you punters and followers alike fall into the notorious gambler’s fallacy and decide the Brazilian based mostly on his previous performances as champion?
Setting his stall out because the potential Fighter of the Yr for this annum – former middleweight kingpin, Pereira made relative mild work of all three of his opponents on the mild heavyweight restrict, in championship settings as well.
Firstly headlining the monumental UFC 300 card earlier in April, Pereira made brief work of former champion, Jamahal Hill – ending him with a blistering first spherical knockout within the pair’s most important occasion grudge combat.
And simply months in a while brief discover, Pereira took most important occasion standing throughout Worldwide Battle Week at UFC 303, stopping Czech Republic foe, Jiri Prochazka with a devastating second spherical knockout win.
Including the above-mentioned, Rountree to his intense profitable resume in 2024, Pereira has been known as upon time and time once more to welcome the problem of former title chaser, Ankalaev – who defined earlier this week how he plans to function towards the Sao Paulo native as quickly as Could.
“(Alex) Pereira has not but agreed to the combat,” Magomed Ankalaev defined. “However ultimately it’ll occur, I feel the combat can happen in Could.”
Nevertheless, regardless of his fixed chase of a title combat along with his bitter rival, Pereira, Russian standout, Ankalaev is way too “boring” to compete for the sunshine heavyweight crown in line with the fan-favorite Brazilian.
“Man, I don’t have no person on my thoughts,” Alex Pereira stated. “The group got here with Khalil final time and it was a shock for me too. I don’t actually select opponents. Some individuals say Ankalaev, however I’m gonna be sincere with you, him and his supervisor been speaking a whole lot of crap saying, ‘Oh, Alex don’t wanna combat,’ this and that, however the actuality is the group don’t need him to combat as a result of he’s boring. Individuals don’t like to look at him combat, proper? He’s not a man that sells pay-per-views.”
Equally linked with a possible heavyweight transfer in pursuit of a historic championship cost towards Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall, Pereira has confirmed plans – in the intervening time at the least, to stay at his mild heavyweight stomping grounds.
