“Unreal”: Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev line up for headliner UFC 310, leaving fans stunned

Following Belal Muhammad’s injury-forced withdrawal from his title defense at UFC 310, rumors are swirling that Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev could win the title. This has left the MMA world polarized, with some wanting the match while others feel it’s a bit tough for Pereira, who would be making his fourth title defense of the year.

The December 7 event would see Mohammed put his welterweight belt on the line against undefeated fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov. An untimely bone infection on his toe, which required surgery, will sideline the Palestinian-American for a few weeks.

Speculation that ‘Poatan’ would be the main event replacement began circulating shortly after the news about Mohammed broke. Combat enthusiasts were eager to know the truth and commented on posts mentioning the rumor.

‘This can’t be happening, can it? Unreal”

There were many who were eager to see Pereira in action.

“Book it.”

“Pereira would be the undisputed fighter of the year if he knocks out Ankalaev.”

Some users took the opportunity to take a closer look at Ankalaev, saying that the Russian was not the type of fighter who would take up the gauntlet anytime soon.

‘Ankalaev is not about that life! Hill could intervene.”

Previously, both Pereira and Ankalaev tweeted emojis indicating that they are both waiting to hear from the UFC. However, the Russian later deleted his tweet. A fan noticed and commented that he was making a joke at him.

“Ankalaev deleted his tweet. He’s not so ‘enthusiastic’ now.

Everything is a rumor at the moment. Neither the fighters nor the promotion have confirmed anything. However, given Pereira’s zeal in such matters, this cannot be easily dismissed either.

The rise of ‘Poatan’: how the Brazilian became the UFC’s favorite

Before becoming one of the UFC’s top draws, Pereira was a two-division GLORY kickboxing champion, winning titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight categories. The Brazilian was pretty much settled and happy at GLORY until he heard Israel Adesanya talking about him in an interview.

That got him excited, and before you knew it, he was in the UFC. The rest, as they say, is history, or history in the making.

Despite being relatively inexperienced in MMA, Pereira had an excellent debut in 2021, knocking out Andreas Michailidis with a flying knee. Two more fights later, further demonstrating his striking prowess, Pereira turned to Adesanya for the MW title.

Although he captured the title and knocked out Izzy, ‘The Last Stylebender’ got his revenge in the rematch.

Pereira then decided to move on to LHW. This is where the Brazilian came into his own. In his first LHW fight he faced former champion Jan Blachowicz. He defeated the Polish superpower via a UD. The two fights that followed, against Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill, made him a fan favorite.

Pereira has fought Prochazka twice, emphatically beating the Czech warrior each time. By this time, Pereira also had a reputation as a man’s man, taking on challenges and taking fights at short notice.

If the UFC actually completes the Pereira-Ankalaev fight at UFC 310, it would be his fourth PPV event in 2024. That’s cruel!