“This Is Not Going To Work”: Magomed Ankalaev Fires Back At Alex Pereira’s Ritual

Alex Pereira shakes things up with a fresh challenge ahead of his fight against Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira

After suffering back-to-back losses to Alex Pereira, Jiri Procházka initially accused Pereira of using black magic. However, ‘Poatan’ firmly stated that he is a man of God and doesn’t engage in such practices. Despite his denial, a recent video showing the Brazilian fighter performing a ritual has stirred suspicion among fans. Even his rival, Magomed Ankalaev, took the opportunity to mock Pereira for the ritual.

Ankalaev faced Pereira at UFC 313 and ended Pereira’s reign as the light heavyweight champion. The fight came with heavy anticipation, as many had accused the Brazilian of avoiding a showdown with ‘Big Ank.’ Despite the buzz, both fighters went the distance in a hard-fought five-round battle, with Pereira ultimately falling short.

Following the fight, talk of a potential rematch between the two light heavyweight stars began circulating. Just before any official announcement, Pereira posted a video performing his ritual, captioned: “Recharging my warrior spirit with the energy of my ancestors.” In response, Ankalaev fired back, saying, “I told you—this isn’t going to work on me. #Vodoking”

When Is The Rematch Between Alex Pereira And Magomed Ankalaev?

Alex Pereira considered withdrawing from Magomed Ankalaev fight and now wants rematch | The Independent

After weeks of speculation, Ankalaev has seemingly hinted at the location for his likely rematch with Alex Pereira. The newly crowned light heavyweight champ, who stunned fans by defeating Pereira at UFC 313, was expected to run it back after Dana White hinted at an immediate rematch.

Despite some delays—possibly due to Pereira’s injury—Ankalaev has been eyeing an August return. In a recent post on X, he dropped a big clue: “Who likes deep-dish pizza?” strongly pointing toward Chicago. He followed it up with, “One month ago, I broke a lot of hearts, in August Big Ank is here to dunk Chicago Bulls style.”

The UFC has not officially confirmed the rematch as of now. However, UFC president Dana White has spoken about it, so there’s a good chance fans could see an announcement soon.