"Dana must hate Islam" - Fans react as Dana White sheds light on Alex Pereira's potential pound-for-pound ranking should he beat Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira has not entered the octagon since last October when he defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. via fourth-round TKO to defend his light heavyweight title for the third time. He is set to return this weekend as he faces Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in a highly anticipated matchup.

UFC CEO Dana White recently appeared on the First Take show where he suggested that 'Poatan' could be the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter with a victory, stating:

"Ankalaev is a very serious threat to him. It's probably the toughest fight he's ever had. His team always talks about his takedown defense and that the fans don't really know how good it is. We're going to find out how good it is this weekend. This is a tough fight for Alex. If Alex comes out of this the way he's come out of every other fight, he might be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world."

Check out Dana White's comments about Alex Pereira below:

Combat sports media outlet Championship Rounds took to X and shared the clip of White addressing Pereira's pound-for-pound ranking in the UFC. Fans took to the comments section to share their reaction to the UFC CEO's statement.

@BSmackemup suggested that White hates current No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Islam Makhachev:

"lol Dana must hate islam. Mans wants the p4p to be anyone but him 😂"

@MoonVenerable9 claimed that the lightweight champion is more deserving, making his case by stating:

"How many lhw fighters in the P4P rankings? and didn’t he get knocked out cold over a year ago😂 Makhachev has remained undefeated for a decade, 15 fight win streak and is fighting in the most stacked division where 4 out of 15 P4P fighters are lightweight🤦‍♂️"

@Nicekevvv noted that Jon Jones would likely sit atop the list if he were more active:

"Would still be Jones if only more active"

@UnanimousDC believes that Pereira moving up the pound-for-pound rankings should be contingent on how the fight plays out:

"Only if magomead tries to wrestle and Pierra shows good grappling improvement/TDD and gets the win"

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Israel Adesanya shares Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev prediction

Alex Pereira had a long rivalry with Israel Adesanya, however, the two appear to have turned a corner. 'The Last Stylebender' recently shared his prediction for his former opponent's upcoming clash with Magomed Ankalaev, stating:

"Ankalaev, speed, but he'll have to catch Alex when he made a mistake so counters. If he catches him with a counter, it could be a dangerous night. But I just think it's going to go leg kicks, leg kicks, leg kicks, left hook. Alex Pereira by, I'm going to go KO. It's just, yeah... Over two and a half rounds, like four or five. He's going to knock him out in the fourth or fifth round."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments on Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev below (starting at the 14:23 mark):

Pereira and Ankalaev have engaged in plenty of trash talk leading up to the bout. While many have suggested that the No.1-ranked light heavyweight will pose the biggest threat to 'Poatan's title reign due to his superior wrestling, Adesanya believes his former rival will extend his knockout streak.