Islam Makhachev Dismisses Excuses for Alex Pereira’s Loss to Magomed Ankalaev
After Alex Pereira’s loss to Magomed Ankalaev in their first fight, many in the MMA world offered explanations for the defeat. One prevailing narrative was that Pereira entered the fight still dealing with the effects of a norovirus infection and a broken hand. This theory gained more traction after Pereira knocked out Ankalaev in the first round of their rematch to reclaim the light heavyweight title.
However, Islam Makhachev and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who also manages Ankalaev, are not convinced by this excuse. They believe that every fighter enters the cage with some form of injury, and it should not serve as a valid justification for a loss. During a recent live stream with Adin Ross, Abdelaziz pointed out, “Everybody is hurt, nobody is 100%.” Makhachev echoed this sentiment, stating, “Just lose or win, you know. After like one year, nobody cares what happened, [whether] you were injured or sick or something happened. It’s your opinion, you fight, or not fight.”
Makhachev is set to fight Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322 this weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York. According to BetOnline, Makhachev is a -250 favorite for the fight, with the champion as a +210 underdog.
In a humorous response to potentially fighting Alex Pereira, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, once claimed that he believes Makhachev can dethrone the reigning light heavyweight champion. However, Makhachev remained humble and offered a witty response at the UFC 311 post-fight presser, jokingly saying, “[Fighting Pereira at 205 pounds] it’s too much. I need the ‘DC’ [Daniel Cormier] diet programme to be 200 pounds.”
Overall, Makhachev and Abdelaziz stand firm in their belief that injuries should not be used as an excuse for a loss in MMA. They emphasize the importance of fighters taking responsibility for their performances inside the cage, regardless of any physical ailments they may be dealing with.
