Alex Pereira suspects Magomed Ankalaev fight wasn't made for UFC 307 because he has a “boring fighting style.”

Alex Pereira claims the fight against Kalayev didn't happen due to his “boring style”.

Given that Magomed Ankalaev currently holds the No. 2 spot in the rankings, is on a 10-fight unbeaten streak, and has been demanding a fight with Alex Pereira for almost a year, it was certainly a surprise when the UFC snubbed Poatan against him instead Khalil Rountree Jr.

A surprise for everyone except Pereira.

In a conversation with Kevin Iole earlier this week, the Brazilian superstar shared his thoughts on why the UFC is unwilling to put Ankalaev in a title shot situation; And it's the pulling power that counts.

“Honestly, it’s not my fault that Ankalaev has such a boring fighting style that no one wants to watch, that guys don’t want to use him,” said Pereira, who is in Salt Lake City preparing for his UFC 307 main event fight against Rountree.

Pereira claimed that some of the blame also lies with veteran manager Ali Abdelaziz, who continues to promote the narrative that Ankalaev is being unfairly overlooked.

“Even his manager, a super renowned guy [who is] famous in the MMA world, says, “Oh, this guy won't fight, talk to Dana White.” But Dana White doesn't want to participate.

“Then he says the fact that Ankalaev isn't fighting for the title is a joke – it was like clown stuff… So now the UFC is mad, why? Because the UFC and Dana White and the people who decide are a joke? Are you a clown? Are you a circus? So you have to clarify that with the organization.”

Magomed Ankalaev defends himself against Alex Pereira for claiming he is 'boring'

These comments didn't sit well with Ankalaev, who joined

“Alex has 6 KOs in the UFC, I have 6 KOs. He knows why he's not fighting me, and when we fight the number eight guy, we're really focused on your fight. I will do the same. We’ll see if you’re lucky later, Champion.”

In a follow-up post, Ankalaev suggested that Pereira's behavior was comparable to the behavior of someone in the witness protection system, before admitting that he would continue to support Poatan in Utah this weekend.

“Everyone knows what has to do with the witness protection program. I understand that very clearly. I just have to do my job. Smash the people and we'll fight next. I will be smashed. Please don't close this week either.

“Good luck this weekend, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you, let’s become champions.”

Should Pereira prevail against Rountree in his third title fight in 2024, he understands that Ankalaev will likely be next in line – should he also make it through his upcoming fight against Aleksandar Rakic ​​at UFC 308.

“I’m ready to fight the guy [and] He's ready to fight me, so whenever they have that fight… People talk about my position [game]So there’s a good chance I’ll show everyone.”

UFC 307 with Alex Pereira takes place on October 5th in Salt Lake City, while UFC 308 with Ankalaev is scheduled for October 26th in Abu Dhabi.

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