Did Alex Pereira want to fight Magomed Ankalaev and the latter refuse? Or is Ankalaev telling the truth that he was not offered a fight? Who do we believe? The feud is still ongoing and things are starting to get complicated. On top of that, Ankalaev has not only slammed ‘Poatan’s’ claims but also dragged Dana White into the mix.

The Dagestani fighter was expected to fight the light heavyweight champ next but Pereira is going up against Khalil Rountree Jr. instead. This did not sit well with fans because Rountree is no 8. while Anaklaev just won against Johnny Walker and is no.2 in the rankings. What does Anaklaev say about White in all this?

Magomed Ankalaev takes Dana White’s name against Alex Pereira

In the latest post on X, the fighter with a 19-1-1 record talked about this. He said, “@AlexPereiraUFC you are a liar. You said I turned the fire down against you.@danawhite @Mickmaynard2. never offer me a fight against you. I’m gonna make you eat your word after I handle my business.”

Ankalaev most recently won against Johnny Walker in a second-round KO victory on Jan 24. Meanwhile, the UFC light heavyweight champion has fought twice this year so far, against Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka back to back. He always came to Dana White’s rescue at the last moment. Everyone expected his next title defense to come against Ankalaev who is ranked 2.

However, the UFC announced a fight between Khalil Rountree Jr. and ‘Poatan’ at UFC 307. To this part, Ankalaev replied that he would defeat his UFC 308 opponent Raki and get a title shot nonetheless. The matchmaking left many scratching their heads but it is actually rather easy to see the logic behind this.

UFC 308 already has a stacked card and does not really need Pereira to boost ticket sales. Further, Ankalaev will be a fan favorite in the country that has always rooted for Russian fighters. But UFC 307 was lacking a big name on the card and who better to save the day than Pereira?

The champion, meanwhile, alluded that Ankalaev backed out because UFC 307 was taking place in the USA. For context, this comes from the rumor that the latter was having visa issues. Now fans want an answer from Dana White which he has already provided. Let’s see what he had to say.

Dana White explained the reason for not matching up Pereira and Ankalaev

Pereira’s former foe Jan Blachowicz, had a lot to say about this situation and stated, “ I feel like it’s special protection for Pereira.” This is from the common assumption that Ankalaev’s grappling will be too much for the Brazilian. Ironically enough, Pereira has successfully handled the likes of Blachowicz on the ground.

However, Chael Sonnen differs from this opinion and says that Pereira would not be safe against Rountree Jr. because he has a deadly game. He said in the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, “I’m just sharing with you, that Rountree is the wrong matchup. All those scary punches and kicks that Pereira does, that’s when Rountree does his finest work. I’ve got to tell you, this is a massive disaster for anybody who thinks the UFC is trying to protect Alex.”

Meanwhile Dana White had his reasons for this matchup which differ from what Sonnen said. White claimed that there were timing and scheduling issues and conflicts so he could not schedule the much-desired fight. The UFC head honcho said that Ankalaev did not get skipped over and he already had a fight scheduled. He also said that timing was crucial.

Ankalaev is already a pro at Muay Thai, especially after shifting to Thailand and honing his skills. So, it is safe to say he might win against Rakic at UFC 308. Do you think he might get a title shot against Pereira after that?