Pereira will knock out Ankalaev easily

[PeterGriffin]

Thankfully we have a champ that doesn't mind fighting top contenders. Crazy strength of schedule for Alex.

Even blocking Pereira's leg kicks hurt. If Alex can get him checking early and often it will add up fast. Looking forward to this fight, and if Ankalaev does try to stand and bang, we're in for a fun one.

 

[Preston broadus]

As jiri said, if ankalaev keeps his promise, he'll get knocked out. A brave man gets knocked out but once. A coward dies a thousand deaths.

 

[Cat Biscuits]

You're right Ankalaev doesn't have great grappling but you don't need great grappling to take Alex down. Jiri and Izzy attempted their first takedown attempt in their UFC career against Alex and successfully took him down. Ankalaev took down Krylov and Jan, if he can't take Alex down at all I would be very surprised. Ankalaev also mentioned in the DC interview that he's training with an olympic wrestler, so he is clearly going into the alex fight with a gameplan of taking him down regardless of what he says online

Jiri and Izzy both happen to be strikers who fight the majority of their fights on the feet.

Do you even consider that because Alex wasn't expecting a takedown at all from either of them, it played a huge factor in their success of getting a surprise takedown?

You know, I'd be willing to bet it's easier to land a punch on someone when they're looking the other way. What do you think?

Yes, Ank does have the skill to take Alex down. But if Alex is fully prepared for that happening, it shouldn't be as effortless as everyone seems to think it will be.

If you've actually learned anything over the years, you'd know that it's the punch that people don't see coming that ends up knocking them out.

 

[Westbrick]

You're right Ankalaev doesn't have great grappling but you don't need great grappling to take Alex down. Jiri and Izzy attempted their first takedown attempt in their UFC career against Alex and successfully took him down. Ankalaev took down Krylov and Jan, if he can't take Alex down at all I would be very surprised. Ankalaev also mentioned in the DC interview that he's training with an olympic wrestler, so he is clearly going into the alex fight with a gameplan of taking him down regardless of what he says online

Izzy didn't take Alex down, Alex tried a throw and tripped over his feet.

 

[Pilo]

Given Alex's power, that's not even that much of a bold prediction.

I'll be curious to watch those first two minutes, just to see how Ankalaev approaches this fight. Does he shoot, or does he trade strikes with Alex, how does he mix both up, if he chooses to. Hopefully he does.

I feel like the hype that I felt towards Ankalaev has faded a bit. I thought he looked a bit flat in the Blachowicz and Rakic fights, certainly not like the murderer I once thought he would be.

But he's 19-1-1, and that's still one hell of a record. Interesting fight, but I think Alex adds another skull to his pile.

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

Jiri and Izzy both happen to be strikers who fight the majority of their fights on the feet.

Do you even consider that because Alex wasn't expecting a takedown at all from either of them, it played a huge factor in their success of getting a surprise takedown?

You know, I'd be willing to bet it's easier to land a punch on someone when they're looking the other way. What do you think?

Yes, Ank does have the skill to take Alex down. But if Alex is fully prepared for that happening, it shouldn't be as effortless as everyone seems to think it will be.

If you've actually learned anything over the years, you'd know that it's the punch that people don't see coming that ends up knocking them out.

he wasn't expecting a takedown at all? Everyone knows alex isn't as experienced as other top fighters in MMA, many people were asking adesanya if he was gonna wrestle alex and many were wondering if Jiri was gonna shoot on him too. I don't think Pereira was as unaware of their takedown threat as you think. I'm sure Pereira is gonna be more ready to stop takedowns against ankalaev but I think his wrestling just isn't good enough, he has a tall upright stance and when Jan made him balance on one of his legs with a single leg he took alex down pretty easy so his balance when stopping takedowns isn't great which makes sense considering he doesn't have a wrestling base

 

[Captain Insano]

Lol. He did just fine defending leg kicks against rakic, who has nasty leg kicks, just ask jiri. These newb level narratives get out of hand.

Ank has very good striking, majority think he cant beat alex standing up, but i beg to differ

Rakic throws leg kicks and that's all that is shared between him and Peirera.

Peirara's deception and power in his kicks is night and day above anyone else in the UFC.

Ask Izzy who got tagged by those leg kicks.

Ank will get clowned in the standup without the threat of TD's.

And when Ank gets tired of shooting bc he has been a striker his whole career and not a wrassler, then he gets KTFO.

He better gets control time and GNP, two things he isn't known for, to tire Alex out.

And Alex isn't the same guy that Izzy humped for 4 minutes a couple years ago. He has had growth there.