Magomed Ankalaev knew accepting a title battle towards Alex Pereira at UFC 313 on March 8 was going to require some sacrifices as a result of the date falls one week into Ramadan.
The holy month noticed by Muslims throughout the globe requires fasting from daybreak till sundown — avoiding all meals and water throughout sunlight hours. Whereas none of that affected his preparation preparing for the battle, Ankalaev admits he’s been pressured to interrupt the quick as he will get prepared to chop all the way down to 205 kilos on Friday for his battle towards Pereira on Saturday.
“If we’re speaking concerning the coaching or the coaching camp, the preparation, that was executed earlier than Ramadan,” Ankalaev stated throughout UFC 313 media day on Wednesday. “So there was no points with that. The one factor that we needed to change is as a result of the week of the battle is Ramadan, what I needed to do was I needed to break a few fasting periods as a result of I’ve to drink plenty of water to ensure that me to have the ability to make the burden. Apart from that, the whole lot is identical.”
In fact, Ankalaev has additionally heard Pereira chirping about meals being delivered to his room, though that didn’t essentially imply the Russian truly ate something whereas he was observing the fasting guidelines for Ramadan.
For his half, Ankalaev can’t assist however surprise if Pereira is already displaying his hand by making all these feedback that basically shouldn’t matter a lot to him simply days away from their battle.
“He’s clearly actually fearful about me and what I’m doing,” Ankalaev stated. “He appears to be nervous. He’s following all this stuff. Like what can I say? I’ll inform you once more. I needed to break the quick a few instances as a result of there’s one thing I have to do as a way to make the burden and as a way to be ready. He appears to be manner too involved with that.
“Even when he goes to a fridge proper now and he opens the meals, he’ll see that there’s meals with my title on it, the UFC meals that was given to me. If he needs it, he can take it.”
Past his jabs about Ankalaev observing the principles of Ramadan, Pereira additionally not too long ago advised a wager between them concerning the battle the place the loser would pay $200,000 to a charity of the winner’s alternative.
Since you might be so assured you’ll win, $200,000 to the winners charity of alternative. Win or lose it will assist these in want. It’s in your fingers @AliAbdelaziz00 @AnkalaevM
— Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) March 3, 2025
For all of the methods Pereira appears to know the ins and outs relating to observing Ramadan, Pereira can’t assist however remind him that one other tenet of Islam is that Muslims aren’t allowed to gamble.
That’s why Ankalaev advised simply straight up donating to charity as a substitute somewhat than attaching some guess as a situation for giving again.
“We had been actually clear about it on-line, we stated as Muslims we can’t do bets,” Ankalaev stated. “That’s not one thing that we help or that we glance to do. Nevertheless, if he needs to do one thing, any form of charity or something that he needs to do, we have now the means to do it and I’d be joyful to partake in that.”
A part of Pereira’s resolution to go after Ankalaev relating to the way in which he practices his faith would possibly come again to some issues the Russian had concerning the mild heavyweight champion probably shedding focus forward of their showdown on Saturday.
Along with his title protection simply weeks away, Pereira traveled to Australia to nook Sean Strickland in his battle towards Dricus du Plessis to not point out conducting different enterprise whereas he was abroad in addition to spending just a few nights out somewhat than further time within the gymnasium.
Whereas Pereira could have taken previous feedback as a slight, Ankalaev guarantees that’s not the case and if something, he was truly simply displaying concern for the UFC mild heavyweight champion.
“We weren’t attempting to make it private or something,” Ankalaev stated. “We had been simply saying perhaps we had been fearful about him that he’s form of in every single place, all these totally different UFC occasions and stuff like that.
“Possibly he ought to have taken it as us being concerned about him spending time doing one thing somewhat than being ready for the battle. Whichever manner he took it, it’s as much as him. It’s not going to assist him or make it worse.”
