Magomed Ankalaev really impressed a fellow UFC champion with his stellar performance against Alex Pereira at UFC 313.
On Saturday night, the Russian blended his wrestling and striking beautifully to overwhelm ‘Poatan’ inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The magnificent showing, earned Ankalaev the respect of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was very complimentary about his countryman.
And, ‘The Eagle’ wasn’t the only one with a lot of positive things to say about the new light heavyweight champion.
WOW: Alex Pereira dances with beloved UFC legend moments after losing world title
Tom Aspinall says Magomed Ankalaev used his grappling brilliantly against Alex Pereira
In the aftermath of UFC 313, Tom Aspinall headed to YouTube to post a breakdown of Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira.
During his analysis, the powerhouse was taken aback by Dagestani’s tactics, complimenting him on his fight IQ.
The UFC interim heavyweight champion explained: “This is a really good game plan from Ankalaev. What he’s doing is, even if he’s missing the takedowns, he’s using the grappling, just tie-ups from standing, just to gas out the arms and overwhelm Pereira a little bit, physically and mentally. He’s just hanging onto him.
“I’m sure Pereira is a great grappler, but as far as I’m aware, he only started grappling in his late thirties. If you start grappling in your thirties, or your late twenties, and you’re against a guy like Ankalaev, who’s been grappling his whole life, you’re never going to have the condition of a guy who’s been grappling his whole life.
“This is what Ankalaev is trying to do now. He’s trying to gas his arms out, and it’s working. Look how stiff Pereira looks — he’s second-guessing himself.”
Alex Pereira gives an update on when he will return after loss to Magomed Ankalaev
While suffering a defeat is never ideal, Pereira remained in high spirits after the result was announced.
Since his arrival in the UFC, the São Paulo fighter has quickly become one of the biggest stars in the sport, capturing the imagination of fans, by rendering unconscious anyone he connects on.
Therefore, the MMA community is desperate to see his comeback sooner rather than later.
Luckily for them, Pereira has confirmed his future plans.