Magomed Ankalaev just dropped a bombshell, admitting he fought Alex Pereira at UFC 320 with a rib injury that his own team urged him to pull out over. That’s right, he went into his first title defense *severely compromised*, and the result was a brutal implosion.
The Cost of Ignoring Your Corner
Ankalaev had already beaten Pereira for the title with a unanimous decision, so this was supposed to be his big moment, his first defense. But according to combat sports reporter Leo Guimaraes, Ankalaev was rocking a broken rib leading up to the fight. Videos even surfaced later of a doctor checking him out! His team told him straight up, “I was told to drop out of the fight and not take the fight,” he told CBS Sports through an interpreter. But Ankalaev felt good, felt “capable of doing it.” He took full responsibility for the decision. “You have to pay for your mistakes,” he said. “That’s what I did. I took the fight, and I didn’t pull out. I ended up paying for my mistake.” Talk about a tough lesson learned in the cage. An 80-second knockout loss to Pereira, his belt gone, and a nine-month layoff. Ouch.
The Puzzling Reality of the Fight Game
Here’s the kicker: going into that rematch, all the talk was about how *injured Pereira* was. He then went out and scored an 80-second knockout, which totally validated his position. But Ankalaev, after losing his belt, doesn’t feel he’s getting the same benefit of the doubt. He’s “puzzled” by it, admitting the fight business is fickle. “When you win fights, everyone talks about you. You’re the best in the world,” Ankalaev explained. “The second you lose, no one talks about you. They forget about you.” It’s a harsh truth, especially when you’re sidelined for nine months trying to heal up. He never even got a successful title defense under his belt, which probably adds to that frustration.
What’s Next for Ankalaev and Pereira
So where are these guys now? Pereira vacated the light heavyweight title after avenging his loss to Ankalaev. He chased history, trying to win titles in three divisions. That journey took him to the White House South Lawn in June, where he faced Ciryl Gane. History wasn’t kind to Pereira there, as he suffered a second-round knockout loss. Interestingly, Ankalaev actually “envisioned that’s how the fight would go,” expecting a tough transition for Alex against a speedy, technical heavyweight like Gane. Pereira is now eyeing a November return at heavyweight. As for Ankalaev, he’s back, finally. He’s set to face Bogdan Guskov at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. He knows he paid for his mistakes, but he’s not out of it. “It’s not like I lost everything. I’m still in the game, and I’m still active. I will get what’s mine.” You gotta respect that fire. This Saturday is his chance to show everyone he’s still a serious contender.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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