Did Alex Pereira actually plan on fighting Magomed Ankalaev during Ramadan? Coming after a five-month break, the Brazilian will be facing the No. 1 contender at UFC 313. So, you do not get to blame him if he is using this to his advantage. “I wanna fight. I wanna fight in March. I wanna fight Ankalaev,” Pereira said. For Ankalaev, a practicing Muslim, the timing is far from ideal—he’ll already be eight days into Ramadan fasting when the fight goes down on March 9. The physical toll of fasting, combined with preparing for a fully rested and sharp Pereira, has led many to question whether Ankalaev will be at his best. But just a week before the fight, the Russian has broken his silence and has issued a fierce warning against Pereira.

The Octagon will witness a collision of worlds when light heavyweight juggernaut Pereira faces Dagestani fighter at UFC 313 during Ramadan. While most Muslim fighters avoid competition during the holy month of fasting, ‘Russian Terror’ has chosen a different path. After years of climbing the divisional ladder, the Dagestani contender refuses to postpone his long-awaited title shot, even as he honors his spiritual obligations.

“Ramadan is a sacred month for Muslims, a month of forgiveness,” Ankalaev stated in the UFC 313 Countdown. “I have never fought during Ramadan, I always refused fights. During this month, we Muslims are obligated to fast, and Alex knows that. He thinks he has some chance to beat me, but I think we will prove the opposite. This challenge makes us stronger, and the results will be in my favor.”

That’s a man brimming with confidence! That’s a challenge. And that’s exactly what Ankalaev has endured for nearly a year, waiting, watching, and wondering when the UFC would finally grant him his second coming after his initial UFC 282 disaster. It is safe to say that the Russian contender has been calling out the champ as early as April 2024. “Alex Pereira VS me in Abu Dhabi,” Ankalaev wrote on X. “I will win in the first round by knockout. Dana White, Mick Maynard, the man doesn’t have a chin.” But to no avail until now!

The Brazilian, meanwhile, has been on a warpath ever since. The 205lbs wrecking machine took out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 with a first-round KO, leaving no doubt that he was the man to beat at light heavyweight. Then came the UFC 303 horror show where Alex Pereira booked a permanent slot for Jiri Prochazka in the shadow realm. And to cap it off, UFC 307 saw Khalil Rountree Jr. being thoroughly battered before the ref stepped in. But why the delay for the Russian contender? And now when he’s finally getting his shot, why now?

The Dagestani’s road to the title has been anything but smooth. Despite being widely recognized as the division’s top contender, he was repeatedly sidelined while the Brazilian got back-to-back opportunities. And when the fight is finally booked for the Vegas card, it landed during the one month that could potentially hinder Ankalaev’s preparation. Coincidence? When asked if he felt undervalued, Magomed Ankalaev gave a measured response, “I don’t know if they appreciate me yet, but after this fight, they will.”

Meanwhile, UFC boss, Dana White, never one to dodge controversy, defended the scheduling decision at a Power Slap event in Saudi Arabia. “If you have so many Muslim fighters and none of them will fight during a block of time, what happens when they’re champions? We’ve got a schedule. If you want the opportunity, you’ve got to fight.”

Is that fair? Or is this just another hurdle in front of a Dagestani fighter in a sport that has long had a complicated relationship with faith-based accommodations?

Is Magomed Ankalaev turning unexplored adversity into an advantage?

It’s no secret that Ramadan presents a unique challenge for Muslim fighters. With fasting from dawn until sunset, maintaining peak physical condition becomes an uphill battle. Khabib Nurmagomedov never fought during Ramadan. Islam Makhachev, the lightweight kingpin, also steers clear of fights during this time. Yet, there’s one outlier, Belal Muhammad. The welterweight champion has trained and fought while observing Ramadan, even claiming it makes him stronger.

Before he was allegedly offered to fight Leon Edwards at UFC 300 which was scheduled four days after Ramadan, Muhammad dismissed concerns about fasting affecting his performance. Moreover, he also brought up his experience of slugging it out against Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 which took place during the Muslim Holy month.

“When I’m in the right state of mind and at peace, that’s when I’m at my best. In Ramadan, that’s when I’m at my best. Every single fight, every single camp I’ve had doing that – even in the Gilbert Burns fight, I had to do it in the last week. Mentally, the power that I gain from this, comes into the cage with me.”

The current 170lbs gold standard added, “The tranquility I have all week leading up, it’s a different feel. I’m not stressing about the fight. I’m giving my time, energy, and spirit to God that whole month, so I don’t have to sit there and stress about the stuff I shouldn’t be stressing about. I think it makes me that much better.”

And he proved it. Despite the challenges of Ramadan, Muhammad stepped into the Octagon and secured a statement victory over Burns, solidifying his place as the next in line for welterweight gold. A task he finally fulfilled at UFC 304 in Edwards’s hometown of Manchester. His success raises the question, could Ankalaev tap into the same mindset and defy the odds against Pereira? Or will the physical toll prove too much against a powerhouse like Pereira?

And with just weeks to go before UFC 313, questions are swirling around Alex Pereira’s preparation. The reigning champ has been bouncing across the globe, cornering Sean Strickland in Australia, making appearances at events, and seemingly embracing the limelight. “Don’t worry, Daniel Cormier. We’re over here working,” Pereira quipped on Instagram, brushing off concerns. But analysts like Cormier and Chael Sonnen remain unconvinced, does his whirlwind schedule leave enough time for the grueling preparation required to face a wrestler as dangerous as Magomed Ankalaev?

Say what you will, but Pereira doesn’t just fight, he orchestrates destruction. His Octagon presence is less of a contest and more of a calculated symphony, where opponents play their unwitting roles in his violent masterpiece. But this isn’t just a battle of styles, it’s a collision of belief. Ankalaev finds strength in his faith, fasting during Ramadan even as he pushes through the rigors of fight camp. He has never fought during this sacred month, until now. “Victory is granted by the Almighty,” he stated making it clear that, to him, this is more than just a title fight.

On the other side stands Pereira, a man accused of using black magic in the past, only to shut down the noise with a firm response, “I’m a God-fearing man.” His belief, however, is not just in a higher power, it’s in himself. In his hands. In the inevitability of destruction that follows his every strike.

On March 8, faith will meet ferocity. A believer in the divine will face a believer in his own hands. But who imposes their truth inside the Octagon? Does Ankalaev’s discipline and devotion secure him the victory, or does Pereira add another skull to his collection? And more importantly, did the UFC schedule this fight during Ramadan as another test for a fighter they never fully backed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!