Ankalaev is a kickboxer who used the takedown threat to keep Pereira passive in the clinch so he could keep landing shots. Your analysis is shit as usual.
He's a kickboxer and a wrestler. No one there identifies themselves as wrestlers. Ankalaev identifies himself as a kickboxer because he prefers to fight standing... But he won't hesitate to use wrestling if he can't. He said after the fight vs Jan, when he dropped him for two round and beat the s** out of him in the last round that he is good at both so if one won't work the other will.
He's like JJ, JJ is a good striker and a good wrestler... When opponents have good takedown defense, it'd be hard.
Yes, and the threat of the takedown was also what kept Alex more on the defensive initially. When he developed was after he got confident enough in his grappling, like vs Hill. But then Ankalaev had all that aura that he focused a lot on the takedown part. Seeing that he could fight way better by knowing he can stop them. Not to mention he had just fought against Rountree with a broken rib and staph infection (now we know), and fought vs Ankalaev with a broken hand and he was sick, he got a kind of virus that some boxer immediately pull out of the fights when they get it... And still it was a close fight, a 3-2 Ankalaev but that could go the other way following the judging criteria too...
Tom didn't even fight a former champion... He fought Arlovski, lost to Blaydes then defeated Sergei and Blaydes. But that's it... Alex is way more proven than him, has experience in deep waters and has fought 6 world champions and beat 5 of them, among 2 divisions, narrowly losing to one of them when in injured and sick....
To hype someone whose two fights were Sergei and Blaydes (one a newcomer that lost to Volkov later, the other who had been KO'd by Ngannou twice... In the same time span Poatan beat Jiri and became double champ, KO'd Hill in that viral left hook, KO'd Jiri Prochazka in a short notice match against one of the worst draws, that being Jiri, and KO'd him in a dominant way again 2nd round... Then on short notice, took on Khalil, a fighter that came from Thailand way better and going on a 5 wins streak with one left KOs who were beating ppl as if they owed him money... He even had videos and comments from Usman way back that he's the best Muay Thai fighter in UFC and maybe striker... The way he KO'd Anthony Smith actually gave Smith 2 concussion on the same day, and he was said to have involuntary reactions from then... He took this guy that was on a rocket way up like the Zhang from China now (but Khalil is better still) and had an epic fight that ended sadly in a brutal way... But one that Muay Thai strikers like Rodtang mentioned as "legendary striking skills" ... And he had a broken rib and was on antibiotics half the camp... Then took on Ankalaev while also with a broken hand and sick, and fought evenly...
How Tom is so hyped compared to Alex is beyond me.... Like, if JJ beat him dominantly, it'd be generally seen as another Gane, literally. First comment " fraud checked" ... And JJ knows Tom is good, it's a tough fight imo, but not as tough as Reyes and Gus 1 were... It'd be like vs DC 1 ... Close to an extent and tough, good fight, but a clear UD no controversies... Alex Pereira would likely be a Gus 1 classic . But hey the odds had Bo as a -300 favourite vs RDR too... Like DDP said "Bo was acting like he was the best when he fought no former world champion , no real contender... And he gave up because of a knee. And he was acting all pride as if he could take on people that accomplished what he wished he did accomplish. Was acting so hyped, as if he were the next thing, and giving up because of a knee, it was satisfying to watch to some extent. A humble pie is nice, maybe even 4 humble pies are better"
JJ for sure didn't duck Tom as he thanked Tom for the retirement money on X .... And for sure that fight happened and Dana can't do anything as JJ is leaving, they will fight, JJ wins clearly, leaves the division... A reporter was talking about JJ fighting Ngannou and Dana was even "we will see" and about the Tom fight the reporter asked kinda laughing and Dana "Yes, that fight is coming soon" JJ got the money already, as he thanked Tom for the retirement money after the Chicago card and said in an interview in the documentary :"I came, saw and conquered ... 4 of me could beat a gorilla, I would say" . Tom was asked the same day if 100 of him could beat a gorilla and he said "nah, it became boring. And it's all over now, it's over".... JJ is just laughing at you all when he has the fight won. And the humble pie is very well deserved, as Dricus said