"You were the one who denied it" - Fans react to Magomed Ankalaev's "delusional" allegation that Dana White has been "protecting" Alex Pereira in UFC

Magomed Ankalaev recently claimed that Dana White has been shielding Alex Pereira from top-tier competition in the UFC. Ankalaev is slated to challenge reigning light heavyweight champion Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Even before their title fight was officially announced, the Russian had repeatedly taken shots at 'Poatan', downplaying his abilities. This ongoing rivalry eventually escalated into a heated social media clash between the two.

During the UFC 313 pre-fight press conference, the two competitors crossed paths publicly for the first time, and the tension remained palpable as they exchanged sharp words. Ankalaev accused the UFC CEO of consistently matching Pereira against weaker opponents:

"You know what? Honestly, [Pereira] should say thank you to Dana White for protecting him this whole time. Now, it’s going to be a whole different thing."

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's comments below:

Combat Sports media outlet Championship Rounds shared the clip of Ankalaev's comments on X. Fans took to the comments section of the post to share their reactions to Ankalaev’s claims that Pereira had an easy path to the title.

Many dismissed his allegations, pointing to the Brazilian’s active schedule and impressive fight resume as proof. One fan wrote:

"He literally asked for you. You were the one who denied it."

Another wrote:

"Most delusional fighter I’ve ever seen."

Another commented:

"Take who Pereira's last fighters [both UFC champions] were and take who were Ankalaev's [only bad fighters unranked below the top 4]."

Check out some more reactions below:

Comments from @ChampRDS on X.

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Magomed Ankalaev gives measured response on his no-wrestling promise against Alex Pereira

After their matchup was officially announced in January, Magomed Ankalaev took to social media to declare that he would forgo his wrestling and engage Alex Pereira in a striking battle, ensuring a level playing field against the kickboxing specialist.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger was asked whether he remains committed to his stand-and-bang promise or if he plans to incorporate takedowns against Pereira. Responding through an interpreter, Ankalaev took a more diplomatic stance:

"That was the initial tweet when Alex won the belt. [Glover] Teixeira tweeted something, and then we tweeted about, 'Don't worry about the wrestling.' But since then, things have changed a lot. He's been going with whatever streak he's been on, and he kinda forgot about my name... Now, we said that Glover's wrestling is not going to help him."

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's comments below (4:05):