"I pray five times a day" - Magomed Ankalaev claims he is not bothered by Alex Pereira's "voodoo stuff" in response to 'Poatan' rating him 5/10

Magomed Ankalaev isn't worried about Alex Pereira's "voodoo stuff."

Over the last two years, Pereira has managed to solidify himself as an all-time great in the UFC. The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion's promotional tenure has been impressive to the point where his former opponent Jiri Prochazka accused him of using magic and spiritual powers inside the Octagon.

Pereira's alleged use of magic has become a major talking point in the 205-pound division over the last year. No. 2-ranked Magomed Ankalaev recently mentioned the spiritual factors on X while reacting to Pereira rating him a five out of 10 fighter:

"This guy say I’m at level five I’m in this guy’s head. Please do not close Saturday. I promise you this voodoo stuff will not work with me. I pray five times a day. I am protected."

Israel Adesanya made an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, JRE MMA Show, with the episode released earlier today. Adesanya mentioned Jiri Prochazka's accusations toward Alex Pereira and agreed that the latter has a different type of spirit or influence that helps him succeed in combat sports.

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Magomed Ankalaev has one more hurdle to overcome before UFC middleweight title shot

Magomed Ankalaev had a strong argument to receive the next UFC light heavyweight title shot. The 32-year-old Russian has won 10 out of his last 11 fights (one no-contest), including a violent second-round knockout win against Johnny Walker in January.

Instead, the UFC awarded number eight-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr with an opportunity to challenge Alex Pereira at Saturday's UFC 307. In the meantime, Ankalaev looks to secure another win to strengthen his presence in the light heavyweight division.

On Oct. 26, Ankalaev will be featured on the UFC 308 pay-per-view main card in Abu Dhabi. The No. 2-ranked light heavyweight is scheduled to take on number five-ranked Aleksandar Rakic, who is coming off back-to-back losses inside the distance against Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka.

With a win at UFC 308, Ankalaev will undoubtedly be granted a 205-pound title shot, especially considering the rest of the top five is coming off a loss. Firstly, the well-rounded Russian must focus on taking out Rakic.