Magomed Ankalaev, frustrated by delays in scheduling a rematch with Alex Pereira after winning the UFC light heavyweight title, claims Pereira has repeatedly declined proposed dates, prompting Ankalaev to consider moving on.
Magomed Ankalaev is fed up with the waiting game.
Back in March, Ankalaev snagged the UFC light heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Alex Pereira at UFC 313. The fight was tight, and given Pereira’s previous dominance, a rematch seemed inevitable. But, not so fast.
Despite the rumors swirling about Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2, nothing’s moving forward. The champ’s patience is wearing thin. On Sunday, Ankalaev vented on Twitter, claiming he agreed to three rematch dates, but Pereira bailed each time. So, “Big Ank” is ready to move on.
“Alex done, he’s never coming back. Let’s move on. June, July, August, I said yes.”
Since grabbing the belt, Ankalaev has repeatedly expressed frustration over Pereira’s reluctance to fight. He even suggested that both Pereira and Jiri Prochazka declined a bout during International Fight Week. Meanwhile, Pereira’s been mostly silent on the rematch front. He did tweet something cryptic about the UFC messing with him, but quickly retracted it, blaming a hack—something Ankalaev cheekily claimed credit for.
And so, the saga continues.