Speaking to Kevin Iole earlier this month, White stated, “Ankalaev is ranked number 2. He goes out and puts on an unbelievable performance, and if Alex Pereira is still the champion, then he’s next,” suggesting this fight could be considered a semifinal.

However, there were also Magomed Ankalaev supporters in the comments who refuted the staph infection theory and defended the top-ranked contender. One fan commented, “Looks like a mat burn, lol,” while another fan corrected the narrative, telling others, “Omg guys, no. Not every scab or mark is a staph infection.”

Additionally, a different fan asserted that the photo was edited by AI, labeling it “AI propaganda.” UFC 308 has already been impacted by staph infection rumors, particularly after a recent picture of Ilia Topuria from a fight promo showed a mysterious hole on his knee. However, Topuria clarified these claims in a recent interview, stating that it was an old injury he sustained as a child.

Magomed Ankalaev fans seem unaffected by any rumors, as they completely dismissed the staph infection theory and even took verbal jabs at the haters. One fan stood tall, commenting, “Still going to win. Closer to fight day, the more we see Dagestani haters cry about something,” predicting a victory for the Dagestani sensation. This response parallels a previous situation involving Merab Dvalishvili, who was rumored to be infected with staph before his historic fight at the Sphere. It turned out to be something else entirely, as one commenter quipped, “Last time you said Merab had a staph infection, turns out he had a hickey from the chicks he b-nged.”

Now, all eyes are on the upcoming UFC 308, where Magomed Ankalaev will look to extend his winning streak to 11 fights against Aleksandar Rakic. Will he succeed, or will what seems to be a ‘staph infection’ get in his way? Drop your opinion below.