EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Daniel Cormier implores Magomed Ankalaev to mix things up against Alex Pereira.
Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) appears to have finally cemented himself as No. 1 light heavyweight contender when he extended his unbeaten streak to 13 with a win over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308.
If a title fight against Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is next, Ankalaev vows to knock “Poatan” out on the feet. But with Pereira’s past four opponents falling victim to his striking prowess, Cormier thinks it would be a mistake on Ankalaev’s part not to utilize his grappling.
“I thought he fought well,” Cormier said of Ankalaev during a Q&A session prior to the UFC Fight Night 246 ceremonial weigh-ins. “I mean, he’s a tough guy. He didn’t wrestle at all. I don’t know if that’s kind of just showing us that he’s willing to stand with Pereira.
“I don’t know if that would be a great choice if he was fighting him, but he’s as good as they come. I thought that he fought well. I felt that his opponent fought well – Rakic. I thought it was a good fight. You know, it’s hard. When you get the elite of the elite, at times, it looks like that, and I thought we saw a pretty good fight.”
However, Ankalaev continues to insist on standing with former two-division Glory Kickboxing champion Pereira if they fight.
“I was offered three dates December, February, and March and I agreed to all three dates I have to win by KO I have no problem. It is condition.”
