UFC 320 is approaching and the teams of Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Poatan are increasingly keen to heat up the rivalry for the highly anticipated rematch in Las Vegas this Saturday (04). Aiming for their first light heavyweight title defense (up to 93kg), the Russians do not hesitate to express great confidence in a potential second victory over the Brazilian.
This time, Sukhrab Magomedov, Ankalaev's main coach, used the spotlight boldly and downplayed the danger of accepting a stand-up fight against Poatan. In his mentor's view, despite technique being considered his rival's specialty, there's nothing to be afraid of during the fight.
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"His technique is standard, his punches are standard. He's an old kickboxer, he doesn't have speed. Alex has punching power, but not the kind that can actually knock you out," Sukhrab Magomedov said in an interview with the UFC.
Angered by his opponent's recent remarks, Poatan personally informed Ankalaev that he would outfight him and slap him in the face during the fight. Confident he would become champion again, the Brazilian vowed to knock him out next.
Alex Poatan was defeated by Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter/UFC
In their first fight, at UFC 313 , Ankalaev shocked many fans by dominating the Brazilian in the stand-up fight. On that occasion, the Russian was unable to execute any takedowns, but won by unanimous decision.
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