Magomed Ankalaev learned a painful lesson at UFC 320. He ignored his team's advice, fighting Alex Pereira severely compromised. Owning up to his mistake, Ankalaev is ready to steady the ship against Bogdan Guskov at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.
Ankalaev returns nine months after his last fight. He imploded in his first title defense against Pereira, whom he previously beat by unanimous decision to capture the title. Afterwards, combat sports reporter Leo Guimaraes reported that Ankalaev fought with a broken rib, along with videos of a doctor examining Ankalaev. Members of his team advised him to pull out in the weeks leading up to UFC 320. Ankalaev brushed it off. While it inevitably impacted his performance, Ankalaev takes full responsibility for his decision.
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"I was told to drop out of the fight and not take the fight," Ankalaev, speaking through a Russian interpreter, told CBS Sports ahead of Saturday's main event. "But I felt alright. I felt like I was capable of doing it. You have to pay for your mistakes. That's what I did.
"I took the fight, and I didn't pull out. I ended up paying for my mistake. But it's not the end. It's not like I lost everything. I'm still in the game, and I'm still active. I will get what's mine."
Heading into their rematch, much of the narrative surrounded how injured Pereira was. His 80-second knockout win validated his position. It doesn't seem Ankalaev is afforded the same leeway his rival was. It might be because Ankalaev, unlike Pereira, never mustered a successful title defense. Ankalaev believes fickleness is the culprit.
"I'm not exactly sure how to answer this question," Ankalaev admitted. "It's the fight business. It's the fight game. When you win fights, everyone talks about you. You're the best in the world. The second you lose, no one talks about you. They forget about you. I'm puzzled."
Pereira vacated the light heavyweight title after avenging his loss to Ankalaev in pursuit of history. In June, Pereira stepped onto the White House South Lawn, attempting to become the first UFC fighter to win titles, interim or undisputed, in three divisions. History was not kind to Pereira, who suffered a second-round knockout loss. The fight went as expected for Ankalaev.
"I assumed it would be a tough transition for Alex, especially against someone like Ciryl Gane, who is a true heavyweight," Ankalaev said. "Someone speedy and technical. I pretty much envisioned that's how the fight would go."
Pereira recently told CBS Sports that he's eyeing a November return at heavyweight. It reaffirms Pereira's commitment to the heavyweight division amid concerns about how he'll acclimate. If Ankalaev has his way, he'll eventually set the record straight with "Poatan."
"That's for him to decide," Ankalaev said. "If it were up to me, I'd love for him to come back to his division so we can have our rubber match."
