Magomed Ankalaev’s manager has suggested he was compromised at UFC 320 on Saturday night.
The former light heavyweight champion was mauled by Alex Pereira, who took back his 205lb title with an 80-second TKO win at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Magomed Ankalaev looked great when he outpointed Alex Pereira over five rounds at UFC 313 in March.
At UFC 320, the Russian fighter surprised fans with one of the worst performances in a UFC title defense of all time.
Magomed Ankalaev’s manager hints at injury after UFC 320
On Sunday evening, MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz posted a lengthy statement to his Instagram account.
The man who guided the careers of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, and Henry Cejudo used the post to respond to the backlash he’s facing for starting a social media beef between the light heavyweight duo.
Abdelaziz insisted Ankalaev approved everything that was said on his X account ahead of UFC 320.
The often-divisive figure also hinted at an injury issue as he revealed he didn’t want Ankalaev to fight this past weekend.
“There’s a lot of things happened with Ankalaev in his camp,” Abdelaziz said.
“But, it’s for him to talk about. Not me. And if I need to talk about it, I will talk about it.
“If it was up to me, he should never have fought due to some things.
“But he’s a grown man, he makes his own decisions, and he lives by his actions.”
Magomed Ankalaev’s first statement after UFC 320
A few hours before Ali Abdelaziz made a statement, Magomed Ankalaev broke his silence to address what happened at UFC 320.
The devout Muslim’s post had a strong religious element and didn’t mention any issues in his camp.
“If Allah tested me with defeat, it means he wants to strengthen me,” Ankalaev wrote on Instagram.
TalkingPoints
Who should Magomed Ankalev fight next?
“I bow to his will, but not to difficulties
“To those who stayed by my side – thank you.
“Thank you also to those who turned away. After all, Allah clears the path not only of weakness, but also of unnecessary people.”