Days before their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 320, Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev engaged in a tense staredown. Their rivalry has intensified over the past seven months since Ankalaev dethroned Pereira as the light heavyweight champion. Both fighters have exchanged verbal jabs online and in interviews, with `Poatan` recently accusing Ankalaev of avoiding him at the UFC Performance Institute, even leading to a Google Translate-assisted argument.
However, during their recent face-off, Pereira`s mind seemed focused on a specific pre-fight taunt rather than their previous online skirmishes.
Pereira Recalls Ankalaev`s “Tire Shop” Taunt
Magomed Ankalaev has adopted a more aggressive social media presence leading up to UFC 320, frequently posting digs at Pereira on X (formerly Twitter). While some speculate that his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, is influencing these posts, Ankalaev is still held accountable for their content.
During their intense face-off at the UFC 320 press conference, Pereira brought up a particular taunt, stating in Portuguese:
“I don’t want to go back to the tire shop.”
This comment directly references an earlier post from Ankalaev`s X account, which read, “You’re gonna be sleeping on your way back working at the tire shop again.” This taunt alludes to Pereira`s past profession before he rose to prominence in combat sports.
Experts Predict Pereira Will “Crush” Ankalaev in Rematch
Despite his loss in their initial encounter, many prominent figures in the MMA world are predicting a victory for Alex Pereira in his rematch against Ankalaev. Dricus du Plessis has publicly supported Pereira, and legendary striker Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson anticipates `Poatan` will avenge his March defeat.
Thompson went further, stating he believes Pereira will not just win, but “crush” Ankalaev. He shared his perspective with Bloody Elbow, saying:
“Alex just didn’t look like the Alex of old and I do believe he was too consistent [in the first fight].”
Thompson, who witnessed the first fight live, added:
“But, I was there live for that fight and I predicted that the next time that they fight, Alex Pereira is coming with a vengeance. You need to give your body time to heal and I think it’s going to be all Alex this time. I think he’s going to go out there and he’s gonna crush him.”
