“Magomed Ankalaev will surely be knocked out by Alex Pereira.”

That was the harsh opinion of former UFC champion and commentator Michael Bisping, regarding a potential matchup between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira.

Although no official information has been released yet, the title defense fight between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight championship is one of the matchups that absolutely must take place.

Alex Pereira has used his top-tier striking skills to dominate his opponents in the last four fights. This has led Ankalaev to repeatedly claim that he can do better when facing the Brazilian fighter.

However, former UFC champion and now commentator Michael Bisping believes this decision is not a smart one.

“If you look at the fighters Pereira has defeated – Khalil Rountree Jr, Jiri Prochazka… These are very tough fighters, but they all have weaknesses. Magomed Ankalaev is much bigger than those guys, a massive frame for the weight class, and clearly, he comes from Dagestan.”

“He’s not a Nurmagomedov – those guys with the wrestling style – but he could be. The problem is, he says he won’t use it. If he follows that strategy seriously, I can see Magomed Ankalaev becoming the champion, but he won’t do that.”

“He’ll step into the ring, trade punches with Alex Pereira, and get knocked out. Alex will still be the champion.”

Has Ankalaev chosen the hardest path to face Alex Pereira?

Ankalaev is currently ranked number one in his weight class, with an undefeated streak of 13 fights (13 wins, 1 draw, 1 no contest). His striking skills, while solid, are not considered overwhelmingly superior.

In his fight against Jan Blachowicz – a Muay Thai-based fighter who was overpowered by Pereira – Ankalaev struggled with his opponent’s leg kicks, which forced him to switch to a wrestling strategy, ultimately leading to a draw. This has led many fans and experts to argue that it would not be wise or effective for Ankalaev to face Alex Pereira in this way.

With the fight still not officially scheduled, it would be premature to claim what strategy Magomed Ankalaev will use. It could very well be a smokescreen from the Dagestani fighter. But can Alex Pereira be easily deceived by these words? It’s hard to believe that. Everything is turning into a fog of intriguing questions, casting uncertainty over this future showdown.