Pereira, Ankalaev will clash in next week’s UFC 320 main event
UFC 320 headliners Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira had a confrontation Thursday in Las Vegas, and now we have an uncut video of their encounter inside the UFC Performance Institute.
It all started when Pereira entered the P.I. and was informed by the receptionist that Ankalaev was on a separate room. “Poatan” opened the room of the room and couldn’t see Ankalaev. Pereira and his team moved to the next room and sat on the couch next to Ankalaev’s coach.
The video cuts at that point, and the next scene shows Ankalaev sitting next to his coach, apparently annoyed that Pereira and his team sat around him.
Plinio Cruz, Pereira’s coach, tells Ankalaev that he was hiding on the next room. They have a rough time having a conversation since Ankalaev and his coach don’t speak English, and then Melvin Alexander Jovel gets a translation app on his phone to let both fighters talk to each other.
Pereira said Ankalaev “seems nervous”, and the Russian champion spoke to the phone so “Poatan” could hear the translation.
Ankalaev: “When did you see I was hiding?”
Pereira: “Everybody saw that. The girl working there said [you were hiding].”
Ankalaev: “Which girl said that? Show it to me. I was getting treatment.”
Pereira: “We have video [on Youtube]. We filmed it.”
The man doing the translation adds that the receptionist asked them to be separated for security reasons.
Ankalaev: “What the girl said doesn’t matter. He wanted to see me, and I’m here.”
Pereira: “What’s the point now? He can say what he wants now. We can’t fight now.”
Ankalaev: “It makes no difference to me. Anytime.”
At that point, Pereira stands up walks to Ankalaev holding his phone and translating his words from Portuguese to Russian.
Pereira: “We’re professionals. I respect you. But on Oct. 4, I will hit you. I will slap your face.”
Pereira sits back down, Pereira’s training partner Glover Teixeira laughs at the whole situation, and Ankalaev has his words translated.
Ankalaev: “We’ll fight on Oct. 4 and we don’t have to exchange words anymore.”
Pereira: “I’ve never said anything, he’s always talked. I’ve never said anything, he’s always talked. And now that we’re close, face to face, he’s an asshole.”
Ankalaev: “What is he talking about? What makes you say I’m hiding from you?”
Pereira: “He’s there with his team. ‘Do you want to go in there? It’s better.’ The girl said.”
The man helping with the translation adds that the UFC P.I. receptionist said that Ankalaev had agreed to wait in the separate room because Pereira and his team were arriving there.
Ankalaev had a long answer in Russian, which the man summarized as, “Basically, he was kept [inside that room] and told he couldn’t leave.”
Pereira then says “Chama”, and Ankalaev responds “No Chama.” Ankalaev tells his coach to leave.
Ankalaev: “Let’s go. October 4.”
Watch the full video below.
Category: General Sports
