Michael Bisping doesn’t see Magomed Ankalaev dethroning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) is projected to be next in line to challenge Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), although “Poatan” recently hinted that the UFC could have other plans for him.
With Ankalaev saying he wouldn’t utilize his ground game in a potential title fight against Pereira, UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Bisping sees him suffering the same fate as the past three opponents who have challenged the Brazilian.
“When you look at some of the people that Pereira beat – Khalil Rountree Jr., Jiri Prochazka, great fighters, very, very tough, but they do have some holes,” Bisping told TNT Sports. “Magomed Ankalaev is much bigger than those guys as well, he’s gigantic for the weight class, and of course he’s from Dagestan.
“He’s not a Khabib (Nurmagomedov)-styled wrestler, but he can wrestle. But he says he’s not going to use it. If he was to use it, and really go out there with that game plan and commit to it, I could see Magomed Ankalaev being the champ, but he’s not going to do that. He’s going to go out there, he’s going to trade with him and then probably get knocked out. Alex Pereira will still be the champ.”
Pereira defended his light heavyweight title three times in 2024, knocking out Jamahal Hill, Prochazka, and most recently, Rountree at UFC 307 in October. Meanwhile, Ankalaev further solidified his case as No. 1 contender with a unanimous decision win over Aleksandar Rakic that extended his unbeaten streak to 13 consecutive fights.
