Ali Abdelaziz is confident that Magomed Ankalaev will be the one to defeat UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) defended his light heavyweight title with a brutal fourth-round TKO of Khalil Rountree in Saturday’s UFC 307 main event at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Pereira plans to stay at 205 pounds, and Abdelaziz expects Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) to establish himself as the No. 1 contender when he returns at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 gets past Aleksandar Rakic . No one had an answer for Pereira on the feet at 205 pounds, but Abdelaziz says Ankalaev has what it takes to beat him at his own game.
“I really believe he will knock out Alex Pereira,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “I believe he has all the skills to do it and I believe he will do it. I didn’t know much about Khalil beforehand. I thought he was a 50-50 fighter. Yesterday I’m a fan for the life of Khalil Rountree dropped him twice.
“I think Ankalaev has a lot more precision and is a lot smarter than both of them. I think Alex Pereira’s chin is a little better at light heavyweight, but the man has been in so many wars and I think his chin is not there, and “It’s normal. There’s no knock on him. I don’t think his chin is 100 percent there.
Abdelaziz dismissed the idea that the UFC is trying to protect Pereira by giving him stylistically advantageous matches, but sees Ankalaev as the more well-rounded fighter.
“I think Alex is a great champion, but I think Ankalaev is superior everywhere,” Abdelaziz said. “I think Ankalaev will beat him in wrestling and grappling. I think Ankalaev won’t get hit.”
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For more information on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s UFC 307 event hub.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ali Abdelaziz: Magomed Ankalaev is ‘superior everywhere’ and will knock out Alex Pereira