Magomed Ankalaev’s former rival, Anthony Smith, once claimed, “He’s not the boogeyman that everyone’s making him out to be,” during an interview with MMA Junkie. Even after the Dagestani’s recent victory over Alex Pereira to claim the 205lbs gold, Smith appears to be holding firm on his unwillingness. But for a different reason altogether. For the unversed, Smith and Ankalaev faced off at UFC 277, where the Dagestani secured a TKO victory in Round 2. And since Ankalaev is now the division gold standard, Smith chimed in with some takeaways from the title headliner at UFC 313.

Smith appeared on his On Paper with Anthony Smith podcast and took some issue with Ankalaev’s pre-fight comments ahead of his clash with Pereira. Ankalaev had earlier claimed he wouldn’t rely on wrestling against the former champion. However, after ‘Big Ank’ implemented grappling in the later half of the fight, Smith called him “an absolute liar” and stated: “Magomed Ankalaev is an absolute liar. He did wrestle. Which was very, very smart. I’m not complaining about him wrestling. It’s just, that’s not what he said he was going to do.”

However, this doesn’t mean the rivalry between Smith and Ankalaev has cooled off. The two have continued to exchange barbs on social media. Back in 2024, ‘Lionheart’ criticized Ankalaev’s fighting style, calling it unexciting. The champ’s response? He took to X, writing, “@chaelsonnen you are right my friend, my toughest fight in the division is Rakic, my easiest fight ever was Anthony Smith. I hit him with a combination from a video game I used to play when I was 12.”

Interestingly, Smith has had some history with Alex Pereira as well. As an analyst, ‘Lionheart’ has often been critical of Pereira’s performances. In response, the Brazilian once labeled Smith as “washed up.” The tension escalated when Pereira challenged Smith to a grappling match, to which Smith responded by saying he would “choke the s–t out of him” if they ever faced off.

Despite their heated exchanges, Smith and Pereira eventually found common ground during a segment with ESPN ahead of UFC 307, where Smith had some surprisingly kind words for the Brazilian. Regardless of whether Ankalaev’s tactics were fair or not, ‘Poatan’ seemed hesitant throughout the fight—a passive approach that drew criticism from Team Khabib, who pointed out his strategic misstep.

Team Khabib points blatant mistake by Alex Pereira during UFC 313

Alex Pereira, known for his devastating left hook that leaves opponents trembling, appeared uncharacteristically hesitant against Magomed Ankalaev. His reluctance to engage seemed rooted in the fear of a takedown. However, that wasn’t his only misstep—Team Khabib’s coach, Javier Mendez, pinpointed another critical error.

In a previous YouTube video on his channel, the AKA head honcho explained, “He [Ankalaev] pressured him [Pereira], continued to pressure him. And this is the first time we’ve seen Alex back up as much as he did. So he backed him up a lot, he caught him when trying to switch [stance], which is the wrong thing to do when you’re switching, you know. When a punch is being thrown, don’t be switching.”

Indeed, at the end of Round 2, ‘Poatan’ attempted a stance switch that left him off balance—creating the perfect opening for the Dagestani to land a hard leg punch that sent Pereira crashing into the cage. That pivotal moment marked the beginning of Pereira’s downfall in the fight. While Pereira showed some aggression in the later rounds, it wasn’t enough to sway the judges.

Ultimately, Pereira lost the fight but wasted no time in calling for a rematch—a challenge that Ankalaev accepted. However, the fight has yet to be officially confirmed. What are your thoughts on Smith’s comments about Ankalaev’s ‘lying’? Share your opinions in the comments below.