What sets the newly crowned light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev apart from his Dagestani “Muslim brothers” like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev? Well, it seems his cocky personality and sharp rebuttals make the cut. Ankalaev shocked MMA fans last week at UFC 313, where he dominated Alex Pereira in a grueling 25-minute battle. Throughout the fight, Pereira spent much of his time evading Ankalaev’s relentless pressure. However, after the bout, it became clear that Ankalaev had truly earned the title of “Merc with the Mouth” thanks to his verbal bombardment.
After the event, Jiri Prochazka congratulated Ankalaev on X, saying, “Congrats, beautiful pressure. Most people don’t like it. You won the title for now.” The former champ also called for a trilogy fight with Pereira, as the Polish fighter was behind 0-2 in their past encounters. But the praise from Prochazka didn’t sit well with the Russian powerhouse, who dismissed Prochazka’s previous title reign, labeling him a “fraud.”
Recently, ‘BJP’ responded to Ankalaev’s comments during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani show, where the veteran journalist brought up a screenshot of Ankalaev’s remarks. Prochazka fired back, saying, “The only fraud fighter here is Magomed Ankalaev. Right now he is the champion, but I think nobody likes that or respects that he is the champion. Don’t speak about me anymore, ’cause you don’t know me. Absolutely, you don’t know what kind of life I’m living. Face me in the cage, then you will understand.”
(More to follow)
The post Jiri Prochazka Forces Magomed Ankalaev to Swallow a Tough Pill for Calling Him a ‘Fraud’ After Beating Alex Pereira appeared first on EssentiallySports.
