Magomed Ankalaev accuses UFC of "protecting" Alex Pereira, makes bold claims about how things would change it he defeats 'Poatan'

Magomed Ankalaev has not entered the octagon since last October when he defeated Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision at UFC 308. He is set to make his return this weekend as he challenges Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title at UFC 313.

The No. 1-ranked light heavyweight recently suggested that he believes the UFC has been protecting his opponent, claiming that will not be the case if he captures the belt. Speaking with Ag. Fight, Ankalaev said:

"I think what I would bring if I get to be the champion is that the UFC would get a champ that doesn't need to be protected. It's going to be somebody that's not going to pick his opponent. It's going to be somebody who's going to be accepting all the fights, all the opponents, anywhere, any place, any time."

When asked if he believes Pereira chooses his opponents, the No.1-ranked light heavyweight responded:

"I don't know if he's picking them specifically, but I think the UFC picks the opponents that are good for him."

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's comments on Alex Pereira below:

Ankalaev has previously accused Pereira of avoiding the matchup for opponents better suited for his skill set. 'Poatan' has almost exclusively faced strikers in his UFC career, including during his light heavyweight title reign.

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Israel Adesanya shares Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev prediction

Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya took place in one of the greatest rivalries in recent combat sports history, however, the two have moved past that as they have recently embraced one another. 'The Last Stylebender' recently predicted that 'Poatan' would defeat Magomed Ankalaev to defend his light heavyweight title for the fourth time.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, FREESTYLEBENDER, the two-time middleweight champion stated:

"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 (14:23):

Pereira and Ankalaev have engaged in plenty of trash talk leading up to the bout. While many have suggested that the latter will pose the biggest threat to 'Poatan's' title reign due to his wrestling abilities, Adesanya believes his former rival's knockout power will come through in the later rounds.