UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall has drawn criticism for his recent commentary regarding an upcoming pay-per-view main event. Alex Pereira is reportedly set to face Magomed Ankalaev in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 320 this Saturday, aiming to reclaim the light heavyweight title seven months after an initial defeat. Despite being widely perceived as outmatched in their first encounter, `Poatan` expresses strong confidence in quickly ending Ankalaev`s championship reign. However, Aspinall remains skeptical of Pereira`s prospects.
Tom Aspinall`s Controversial Assessment of Alex Pereira`s Matchups
Aspinall asserted that Alex Pereira had a series of “favorable” matchups in his career until he encountered Magomed Ankalaev’s formidable takedown threat. Ankalaev, who has vowed to finish Pereira in their second fight, believes he holds a decisive advantage across all aspects of mixed martial arts. Aspinall concurred, highlighting the champion`s grappling skills as the key factor. During a recent episode of his `Fight Lab` show on the TNT Sports YouTube channel, the heavyweight king suggested Pereira’s UFC journey had been largely “favorable” until facing Ankalaev’s wrestling prowess. This claim is particularly notable given that Ankalaev failed all 12 of his takedown attempts in their previous fight at UFC 313. Nevertheless, Aspinall maintains that the mere threat of a takedown is enough to significantly alter the dynamic and disadvantage Pereira.
“I believe Alex Pereira`s matchups were quite favorable until he met Magomed Ankalaev. Even though we didn`t see Ankalaev frequently attempt takedowns in their first bout, the mere presence of that threat makes him a stylistically challenging opponent for Pereira.”
Fan Reactions to Aspinall`s Comments
Fans quickly reacted to Aspinall`s comments, particularly his stance on the impact of takedown threats. Many pointed out Ankalaev`s lack of successful takedowns in their prior fight, dismissing Aspinall`s argument about the “threat alone.” Others challenged the notion of Pereira having a “favorable” run, highlighting that he had faced significant grappling challenges from other opponents before Ankalaev.
Critics directly challenged Aspinall`s assessment. One commenter retorted, “Ankalaev fighting (Ion) Cutelaba, (Johnny) Walker, Anthony Smith, (Aleksandar) Rakic…Come on,” implying that Ankalaev’s own career path didn’t solely consist of top-tier grapplers. Other fans were more pointed, stating, “Tom rules over a division of bums. I don’t want to see him talking about having it easy,” and “Tom’s best win is Curtis Blaydes lmao.” Specific examples were given: “How was Jan Blachowicz a favorable matchup for Pereira when he fought him after getting knocked out by Izzy three months before?” and “Bruh, horrible take. He fought Jan before, and even Jiri (Prochazka) tried to wrestle with him.” Some general dissenting opinions included “Delusional” and a jab about a long-standing personal dislike: “Aspinall is always hating on ‘Poatan’ over eye contact they made almost 3 years ago.”
Despite the backlash, Aspinall also found supporters who echoed his belief that Ankalaev`s takedown threat poses a significant disadvantage for Pereira. Comments in agreement included: “The takedown threat is one of the MOST powerful weapons there is,” and simply, “He’s correct.” One supporter elaborated, “I agree. Jiri has been known for having bad defense on the feet and Hill sucks…and Rountree was untested at high-level competition at the time,” suggesting some of Pereira`s past opponents were less formidable. Other comments like “Tom knows ball. They were trying to build (him) up, which isn’t a bad thing,” and “I mean…he’s not wrong,” also showed solidarity with Aspinall`s perspective.
