Overview

• Magomed Ankalaev defends the light heavyweight title against Alex Pereira on Oct. 4 at T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
• In newly released video of their PI encounter, the pair trade remarks via a phone translation app, with Pereira calling Ankalaev a coward and vowing to slap him on fight night.
• Ankalaev told media he no longer respects Pereira, accusing him of lying about claims that the champion hid from him at the facility.
• Pereira told CBS Sports he was about 40% in their March meeting and says a healthier version will show in the rematch.
• Fan skepticism over who writes Ankalaev’s trash‑talk posts persists despite his tweet that he uses ChatGPT and Google Translate, and he has singled out Ulberg vs. Reyes as the contender bout that interests him most.