Magomed Ankalaev shares a three-man poll to determine his next opponent, fans react: "Don't give Alex Pereira a rematch"

MMA fans have been reacting to a poll shared by UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev, which asked his followers who he should defend his title against next.

Ankalaev won the title at UFC 313, where he defeated Alex Pereira via unanimous decision. Many had expected the Russian fighter to utilize his wrestling to win the bout, however, it would prove to be his striking that made the difference, as he outstruck the surprisingly gun-shy Brazilian to secure the victory.

Following Ankalaev's win, it's expected 'Poatan' will be handed an immediate rematch. It's believed the UFC brass are willing to sanction another bout, given that Pereira has stepped up for the promotion on a number of occasions.

However, that may no longer be the case. Recently, Magomed Ankalaev shared a poll on X which asked fans who they'd like to see him face next. The names included Alex Pereira, as well as Carlos Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka, the latter of which Ankalaev nicknamed 'Fake Ninja'.

Check out the tweet below:

Magomed Ankalaev's poll

Fans have since been reacting to the poll, which as it stands currently puts Pereira in a commanding lead with 62.7% of the votes. One fan doesn't want it to be the former champ, however, writing:

"Don't give Alex Pereira a rematch he doesn't deserve it he made you wait too long face another opponent who deserves to fight for the title"

Another fan wrote:

"The one not coming off a loss."

A fan added:

"Rematch Alex it is..."

A user wrote:

"Alex is easy money for you brother"

Check out more reactions here:

More fan reactions

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Magomed Ankalaev fires personal shot at Alex Pereira

Magomed Ankalaev recently got personal after he fired a shot at Alex Pereira on social media.

The light heavyweight champion was reacting to Pereira's interview with Ariel Helwani, where the Brazilian was responding to accusations he had 'greased' during their UFC 313 bout. The accusations came from Ankalaev's coach following the fight, as the Russian attempted 12 takedowns on 'Poatan', but he successfully defended every one.

Pereira stated the accusations had come from Ankalaev's team due to frustration as he was unable to take him down, leading to the newly crowned champion to respond. Ankalaev wrote on X:

"Honestly, I really like this coach, but I don’t like Alex’s face."

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's tweet below: