Magomed Ankalaev taunts Alex Pereira amid praise from UFC legend: “This guy lives in Connecticut”

Magomed Ankalaev (left) pokes fun at Alex Pereira (right). [Image credit: @AnkalaevM, @HappyPunch on X] — Magomed Ankalaev (left) pokes fun at Alex Pereira (right) [Image credit: @AnkalaevM, @HappyPunch on X]

No.1-ranked UFC light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev keeps on taking jabs at his division's current ruler, Alex Pereira.

The former middleweight and reigning UFC light heavyweight king is nicknamed 'Poatan', which literally translates to "Stone Hands" in the native language of his indigenous tribe, the Paxato people.

Having a strong sense of pride for his ancestry, 'Poatan' did some traditional rituals with his local tribe, as posted by Happy Punch on X:

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UFC legend Chael Sonnen reposted the video with a rather cheeky caption:

"If you get in a jam and can only choose 1 person to come save you, choose me. But if you can choose 2, this guy [Pereira] could be of help."

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Ever the instigastor, Magomed Ankalaev replied to Sonnen's tweet with his own photo, citing the geographical difference between him and Alex Pereira's residence as an indication of who is a more viable warrior:

"I live in the mountain. This guy [Pereira] lives in Connecticut."

Alex Pereira's team denies rumors of Ankalaev fight getting booked after the Dagestani goads the champion to save UFC 310 main event

UFC's final pay-per-view of the year, UFC 310 in December, is currently in shambles. That's after its main event fighter, UFC welterweight champion Belal 'Remember the Name' Muhammad, injured his foot. The issue has made him incapable of defending his belt against Shavkat Rakhmonov on Dec. 7.

With the UFC scrambling for a replacement, people started turning their eyes to Alex Pereira, who famously took on short-notice title fights this year at UFC 300 and UFC 303.

Even his rival, Ankalaev, attempted to goad him into a fight:

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However, in an episode of Boys in the Back, veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani put a momentary halt to the rumor mill regarding a Pereira vs. Ankalaev bout at UFC 310, saying:

"Will he [Pereira] get his number called once again to save the day. Short notice. For potentially the fourth time in 2024. I reached out to his team and they said as of right now, no one has reached out to them. No calls have been made. And he does have a couple of big trips planned - Korea, Mexico - and he would like to fulfill those trips."

He added: