about 4 hours ago

Magomed Ankalaev Admits Surprise at Alex Pereira’s Strong Takedown Defense

Despite Pereira admitting to a 'lackluster' performance, Ankalaev acknowledged his grappling resistance in their March title fight. “I was surprised by his ability to defend the takedowns… he’s got a really good defense,” he told Daniel Cormier. Ankalaev also blamed himself for not executing better wrestling, noting lingering issues affected his performance against the Brazilian in their light-heavyweight clash.