Two years after UFC 282 dashed his hopes of becoming the light heavyweight champion, top-ranked 205lbs contender Magomed Ankalaev is relentlessly pursuing his quest to dethrone reigning champion Alex Pereira at UFC 313. The highly anticipated clash will see two juggernauts go head-to-head, with the Brazilian looking to defend his crown for the fourth time. Amidst the speculation, ‘Russian Terror’ isn’t holding back in his verbal assaults.

Now, as the fight draws closer, the title challenger continues to fire shots at Alex Pereira, completing his final preparations ahead of UFC 313. With Ramadan beginning, Magomed Ankalaev shared on X, “Training camps finished. I’m ready for war. Saturday night, I will change this guy’s face @ufc 313. I’m looking for a finish from the first minute.”

Since last year, Ankalaev has been vocal, making headlines with his fiery comments about the fan-favorite Alex Pereira. “Brazil, sorry for what I’m gonna do to your boy,” ‘Russian Terror’ boldly wrote. “I never want to hurt someone in my life like I want to hurt Alex. He is a fake humble boy,” he posted on X last month.

With the Las Vegas PPV at the door, the Russian enters the bout on an impressive 11-fight win streak, while ‘Poatan’ is riding a 5-fight win streak and has successfully defended his title three times. Now, the two are set to face off, with the Dagestani sensation being a tough test for the Brazilian. However, there’s one possible advantage Pereira might have—Ramadan. As a Muslim fighter, the title challenger will be fasting during the holy month. With this in mind, could Ramadan impact Ankalaev’s quest for the title? Let’s hear from the man himself.

Magomed Ankalaev criticizes Alex Pereira for ‘scheduling; their fight during Ramadan

“You know, it’s not a good thing to fight during Ramadan,” Magomed Ankalaev told MMA Mania this week. For Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a sacred month, and this extends to MMA fighters as well. Renowned fighters like UFC’s Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and others typically avoid fighting during Ramadan, choosing to schedule their bouts before or after the holy month. However, ‘Russian Terror’ chose to go against tradition and fight during this period. He expressed his frustration with Alex Pereira, who, despite understanding the significance of Ramadan, decided to proceed with the fight.

Despite his frustration, Ankalaev accepted the challenge, recognizing it as an essential part of his journey and a test of his strength. In the UFC 313 countdown video, the Dagestani prospect said, “Ramadan is a sacred month for Muslims, a month of forgiveness. I have never fought during Ramadan, and 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.”

How do you feel about Magomed Ankalaev’s approach leading up to his title fight with Alex Pereira? With his string of bold remarks, do you think ‘Russian Terror’ is positioning himself as the new trash talker in the UFC, while the Brazilian maintains his “humble boy” persona? Share your thoughts below.