At UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev has a second chance to claim the belt that once slipped through his fingers. The 32-year-old took on Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in a highly exciting clash. Although the fight went the full distance, it was later labelled as a draw, ruining the plans of the Dagestani fighter. However, Ankalaev has improved massively since that night. He is now on a 13-fight winning streak and has his eyes set on the title. But there’s one problem leading into the fight. He will be fighting in the month of March, the time during which most Muslim fighters take a break from fighting and observe Ramadan.

Most Muslim fighters on the UFC roster avoid competing during Ramadan, and for good reason. The month-long fast requires them to refrain from eating and even drinking during daylight hours. Such restrictions make it incredibly challenging to maintain the strict diet and hydration routines essential for a fight camp. Balancing both is nearly impossible, and it makes it impossible for fighters to turn up in the best shape possible for a fight. This is the reason why Ramadan often forces UFC matchmakers to be especially strategic when booking fights during this period.

Although Ankalaev has made it clear that he is willing to push himself through the rigours of fasting during the most important fight of his career. However, Pereira doesn’t quite feel the same. According to the champion, ‘Russian Terror’ is just using his ‘fasting’ as an excuse. He recently sat down for a chat with Sky Sports NZ, where he shared his honest opinion on the whole. He said, “I think you know Ramadan just started right now on fight week. But you know, maybe it’s already some insecurities popping up for him. Thinking of excuses if he loses. I’m sure there are restrictions and things that high-performance athletes do. Maybe he’s eating all his meals and saying he’s just having one meal. So I don’t know, maybe it’s coming up with excuses. But I have no idea.” 

Fasting or not, the fight is guaranteed to be a masterclass. For the first time in his career, Pereira will be up against a fighter who is a master on the ground. Experts have claimed that ‘Poatan,’ despite being a top-class striker, doesn’t have a strong ground game, which can cause trouble to the 32-year-old. So the best way for Ankalaev to win the fight would be to take the fight to the ground as possible? Wrong. According to Jamahal Hill, ‘Russian Terror’ will knock out the champion at UFC 313.

Jamahal Hill comes up with a huge prediction before the fight at UFC 313

The 32-year-old Dagestani powerhouse has been biding his time, and on March 8, the wait is over. He has long insisted that the Brazilian has been dodging him, but now, with the title on the line, there’s nowhere left to hide. However, he is up against a fighter who has dropped his last three opponents. But Jamahal Hill feels all these can change at UFC 313. ‘Sweet Dreams’ had the experience of sharing the Octagon with the champion at UFC 300. Although he lost his fight, he knows exactly what ‘Poatan’ does during a fight. He took to his YouTube channel and said, “Whenever Pereira enters, he enters. It’s always that one big shot. It’s a big shot that he enters with to kind of hit you, to kind of stun you. To where he can start unloading combinations on you.” 

However, he feels Ankalaev has the skill set to cause an upset mainly because of his ability to control distances in the fight. One wrong move against the challenger can lead to a knockout, as revealed by Hill. During the show, he said, “From there, one shot against Magomed will get you countered and could possibly get him knocked out. I see a place where Magomed counters and knocks out Alex. That could be a thing.” Looking at Ankalev’s recent records( 13 unbeaten fights), it’s possible he can pull something like this off. However, Alex Pereira in a championship fight is a completely different animal.

Who do you think will win the fight at UFC 313? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.