Daniel Cormier confirmed that Magomed Ankalaev was injured heading into UFC 320, however it might not have mattered.
This previous weekend, Ankalaev put his title on the road towards Alex Pereira of their rematch at UFC 320. It went about as dangerous because it might go for Ankalaev, with “Poatan” ending him in underneath 90 seconds. Within the aftermath, Ankalaev’s workforce revealed the previous champion entered the bout with a damaged rib that severely impacted his coaching. And whereas Cormier confirmed that to be true, he additionally doesn’t assume that made an enormous distinction within the final result.
“First off, Magomed Ankalaev did have a rib damage,” Cormier mentioned on his YouTube channel. “This isn’t a lie, this isn’t an excuse. I do know this as a result of previous to the battle, I noticed a video of him getting injections into his rib to attempt to assist him get to the battle. He was capable of hit pads and do cardio, basically, for a month and a half earlier than the battle.
“With that being mentioned, I don’t know if the consequence modifications if he was wholesome, due to the best way Pereira fought him. I do know some folks which can be very near Magomed Ankalaev that mentioned for him to not battle. He wished to battle. He wished to go on the market and beat Pereira once more as a result of he understood how vital it was to have a victory over Alex, and two would have been a good stronger assertion as to why he’s who he’s.
“So he was not at 100%, however I don’t know if he was at 120 p.c if he would have overwhelmed Pereira on that evening. The way in which Pereira attacked him, simply actually was in a vogue that mentioned that he was pissed off and that he wished the battle to be fully completely different than it was the primary time, and he completely did that.”
Of their first encounter, Ankalaev edged out a call, touchdown efficient strikes and controlling Pereira alongside the fence for lengthy stretches of the bout. Afterward, Pereira declared he was solely “40 p.c” of himself for that battle and vowed to do in a different way within the rematch. He actually did, marching Ankalaev down and dropping him nearly instantly.
After reclaiming his title, Pereira made it clear that whereas he’ll keep at 205 kilos and defend the belt if want be, the battle he desires is a superfight with Jon Jones. It’s a battle Jones himself focused earlier than retiring, and one which Cormier is in on, as a result of it offers Pereira the prospect to determine himself as presumably the best fighter of all time.
“Alex is 38 years previous, so he’s in all probability pondering at this level, ‘How do I’m going and make one other assertion that I’m the man?’” Cormier mentioned. “Hell, [if] he beat Jon Jones, Alex Pereira — who’s already thought-about one of many biggest fighters of all time in essentially the most expedited timeline I’ve ever seen — would actually cement himself to nearly stand above everybody. As a result of he would have overwhelmed a former UFC gentle heavyweight champion and heavyweight champion, and a man many take into account to be the best fighter of all time.”
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On the one hand, I’m kinda with DC — in all probability wouldn’t have matter for Ankalaev towards that model of Pereira. Then again, fairly onerous to win a battle with a busted rib. Nonetheless, he accepted the battle in that situation, so Massive Ank has to reside with that call. — Meshew
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