Former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev from Russia suffered a rib fracture twenty days before his fight with Brazilian Alex Pereira. This was reported by sports correspondent Leo Guimaraes.
Earlier, Ankalaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz said he insisted on pulling the Russian fighter from the rematch with Pereira but did not specify the reason. Guimaraes posted a video showing a doctor examining Ankalaev lying on a couch.
I confirmed that part of the team tried to prevent [Ankalaev] from competing, but the decision was not unanimous.
Recall that on October 5, at UFC 320, Alex Pereira defeated Magomed Ankalaev by technical knockout in the first round, reclaiming the championship title. Their first meeting, held in March 2025 at UFC 313, ended with Ankalaev winning by a unanimous decision. Ankalaev’s record stands at 20 wins, two losses, one no contest and one draw. Pereira has 13 wins and three losses.
