Poatan guarantees he will put his ground game to use against Ankalaev at UFC 313

Alex Pereira showed confidence by revealing that he will not limit himself to striking and is ready to take the fight to the ground if necessary

Alex Poatan celebrates winning the UFC belt. Photo: Twitter/UFC

Alex Poatán celebrates UFC title win. Photo: Twitter/UFC

Alex Poatán revealed that he is prepared to face Magomed Ankalayev in all possible scenarios in the UFC 313, an event that will be held on March 8th. In an interview with UFC Brazil, the Brazilian did not rule out the possibility of using grappling, a skill he has developed over the last few months.

The current light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg) showed no fear when talking about the Russian, who comes from sambo and is known for his takedown game. With his solid wrestling base, the challenger would be the type of fighter capable of neutralizing Poatan's striking and even nullifying his main weapons. Despite this, the Brazilian maintains a confident posture and seems unimpressed by Ankalaev's threat.

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“He says he’s going to fight me standing up, so that’s fine. But the fight starts standing up, I know that. But I’m ready for anything, and if it’s to put my ground game into practice, that’s an opportunity he’ll give me,” said Poatan.

For Poatan, improving his game is a way to ensure that his dominance in the category remains intact. The Brazilian stated that he will not underestimate any of his opponents and that, despite his confidence, he is preparing meticulously for the fight. The light heavyweight champion said he was calm, but focused on putting his technical evolution into practice.

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“I had already said that I would do whatever was necessary to get in Ankalaev’s way. The fight starts standing up, but I’m ready for anything, not just to keep exchanging punches with him,” he concluded.

Kickboxing legend, Alex Poatán has a record of 12 wins and two losses in professional MMA. He stood out in the UFC by winning Israel adesanya, Jamahal hill, Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka (twice), Khalil rountree e Sean Strickland, among other big names in the organization.

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