Magomed Ankalaev reacts to Joe Rogan's claim that Alex Pereira fought at UFC 313 with a broken hand and Norovirus, confirms rematch status

Magomed Ankalaev has taken notice of Joe Rogan's remarks about Alex Pereira allegedly being ill before their matchup at UFC 313. Ankalaev responded to the news by claiming that he was offered a rematch with Pereira later this year.

However, the reigning champion also mentioned that he is open to taking on any other top contender if the Brazilian declines.

Notably, Pereira was unable to cause any serious damage despite his early success in his clash with Ankalaev. His alleged illness and broken hand before the fight, reported by several news outlets, may have contributed to his loss.

In a recent JRE Fight Companion episode, Rogan also touched upon the matter, saying:

''They say he fought with a broken hand and Norovirus against Ankalaev. He fought with a broken toe before when he beat Jiri Prochazka.''

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (45:13):

In reaction to Rogan's remarks, Ankalaev revealed on X that he agreed to a rematch with Pereira in August. However, he added that he would take on another contender if the former champion isn't prepared by then, writing:

''Joe Rogan mentioned his team said that Alex fought with a broken hand and Norovirus, when fighters step in the cage nobody is 100%. I was offered a rematch with him in August and I said yes, but if he is not ready I will fight whoever is next it doesn’t matter.''

Ankalaev challenged Pereira for the light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 313 earlier this month. The Russian was able to nullify 'Poatan's' attacks as their title fight went to distance after a hard-fought five rounds. Ankalaev dethroned Pereira via unanimous decision, which sparked major debate among MMA fans.

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Jiri Prochazka issues strong warning to Magomed Ankalaev

While Magomed Ankalaev is eyeing a rematch with Alex Pereira, Jiri Prochazka, and Carlos Ulberg have emerged as the next contenders for the 205-pound belt. Ulberg recently defeated former champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC London, prompting a reaction from Ankalaev.

In his recent X posts, Ankalaev lauded Ulberg for his win over Blachowicz and proposed a matchup between the Kiwi and Prochazka, mocking the latter. In response, 'BJP' sent a stern warning to the reigning champion, writing:

''Who wrote it, you? Or some your slave ? Here you showed to everyone who’s fraud champion. Like I said, I want your head. If I have to go through someone else to hunt you, so Lets go for that''