"He is very beatable, he is human" - Ex-UFC champion makes bold prediction about why Magomed Ankalaev is eager to rematch Alex Pereira

Magomed Ankalaev became the undisputed light heavyweight champion at UFC 313 with a unanimous decision victory over Alex Pereira. At the post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White hinted a rematch is possibly next and Ankalaev also appears sold on the idea.

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes there is a reason why Ankalev is welcoming a rematch despite the result being decisive.

'The Reaper' asserted that 'Poatan' lost his "boogeyman" image in the fight against Ankalaev. Therefore, the 34-year-old claims Ankalaev has gained more confidence.

Whittaker shared his thoughts about the matter during the most recent episode of his MMArcade Podcast. He said:

"I think the hype and confidence train that Pereira had, that if he touches you, you're going to go out sort of vibe, is now mootish because Ankalaev didn't die. Like, he didn't go to sleep when Alex punched him. And I think it gave him so much confidence that it’s almost lent itself to why he's asking for that rematch straight away. He's like, all the boogeyman vibes, all the mysteries and uncertainties are now gone. He is very beatable, he is human, like anybody else."

With Ankalaev's confidence, coupled with his apparent superiority in all-round skills over 'Poatan', Whittaker doesn't think the rematch would go any different:

"I honestly think Ankalaev does better. I think it's not as close as it just was," Whittaker added.

'The Reaper' pointed out that Pereira was hesitant at UFC 313 due to fear of takedowns. As such, he believes that even if 'Poatan' were to throw caution to the wind, he would still fall short, noting that Ankalaev would exploit the wrestling weakness of his Brazilian foe.

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments about Magomed Ankalaev below (9:18):

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Islam Makhachev's coach gives his prediction for Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev rematch

Islam Makhachev's head coach Javier Mendez is also siding with Magomed Anakalaev in his potential light heavyweight title fight rematch against Alex Pereira.

Mendez shared his thoughts in a recent appearance on Submission Radio. The renowned trainer noted that Pereira can't change his style overnight, and as such he favors the fighter who can easily follow a winning game plan.

He said:

"If they have the rematch, I'm gonna favor the guy [Magomed Ankalaev] that can dictate their game plan. Obviously, Alex is not going to be able to overnight become that dominant wrestler. He's got to be the striker."

The veteran MMA coach pointed out that Pereira showed defensive lapses in the fight, which Mendez cited as the cause of his knockout loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287.

As for Pereira potentially moving up to heavyweight to fight Jon Jones, Mendez expressed disinterest. The American Kickboxing Academy coach favored a fight between Tom Aspinall and Jones.

Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (16:49):