Dustin Poirier answers the burning question: Is Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev a "trap fight" for 'Poatan' despite his "God-given power"?

Dustin Poirier has chimed in on Alex Pereira's long-awaited showdown against Magomed Ankalaev. Some fans have deemed Ankalaev as a potentially dangerous stylistic matchup for 'Poatan.'

Poirier revealed his pick for it and also addressed the burning question about whether it's a "trap fight" for Pereira. Speculation has abounded about whether striking savant Pereira would stylistically struggle against Ankalaev, who's considered a crafty grappler with dangerous striking.

Multiple critics have warned that losing to Ankalaev, who's incredibly skillful but isn't as big of a star and isn't juggling various tasks, could severely dent Pereira's standing as one of MMA's biggest stars.

During a recent appearance on NFL veteran Robert Griffin III and heptathlete Grete Griffin's Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast, Dustin Poirier discussed various topics. Griffin III (RG3) notably brought up the upcoming Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev fight, saying:

"Is this a trap fight for Pereira? And I mean that because of -- he's a striker, going up against a wrestler."

Poirier responded by stating:

"But how much do we see -- it's a different kind of wrestler, he is. How much do we see Ankalaev on top of guys, grinding out? He kickboxes, man. He kickboxes with guys. It's a tough -- I don't know how he's going to fight. This is a mystery to me. And I'm a huge Pereira fan, man."

The ex-interim UFC lightweight champion, who's approaching his MMA retirement fight, implied that Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev are evenly matched. He opined that Pereira has previously been taken to the ma,t but is a God-gifted KO artist. He ultimately chose 'Poatan' to beat Ankalaev and explained:

"I think this is -- it's unpredictable. I'm excited about this matchup 'cause if this guy comes out and wrestles, we've seen Pereira being taken down, we got to see his get-ups. You know, I know he's good everywhere. But he has God-given power, man. One mistake from Ankalaev and the fight's over. I'm excited about that one. But I'm still picking Pereira. I'm still picking Pereira."

Check out Poirier's comments below (48:54):

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Gilbert Burns foresees Alex Pereira facing formidable challenge in Magomed Ankalaev

On the Show Me The Money podcast, UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns recently opined that the Pereira-Ankalaev fight would feature a lot of movement.

Furthermore, Burns recalled Ankalaev being hindered by Jan Blachowicz's leg kicks in their fight back in 2022. 'Durinho' underlined that Alex Pereira's leg kicks are better, but Ankalaev is tough to finish. Picking Pereira to win on points, Burns said:

"I think that's going to be a decision for 'Poatan.'"

Watch Burns' assessment below (6:03):