Ankalaev delivers a harsh response to Alex Poatan after humiliation and ignites rivalry in the UFC: 'He slept badly'

Ankalaev focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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The rivalry between Alex Poatan and Magomed Ankalaev has once again come to the forefront. This Saturday (25), the Russian faces Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi (UAE), but he can't forget his rival. Even more so after the humiliation that the Brazilian made the athlete go through in the immediate rematch, held in October, and also outside the octagon, recently. Without wasting time, 'Big Ank' got his revenge.

It all started when Ankalaev classified his defeat to the Brazilian as an accident, his victory in the first fight, held in March 2025, as a domination, and asked the UFC to schedule the trilogy soon. Then, Poatan laughed at the Russian and made a point of reminding him of his superiority in the immediate rematch, asking if he was still alive.

In the first fight, Ankalaev won by unanimous decision, but in the second, Poatan needed just over a minute to knock him out. Now, it was the Russian's turn to give a harsh response to his eternal rival, making sure to remind everyone that he was brutally knocked out by Ciryl Gane in the second round in his heavyweight debut (up to 120,2 kg) in June.

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" Alex must have been asleep for quite a while, because he was knocked out pretty badly . So, he must have just woken up and forgotten that I'm still alive ," said the fighter at the UFC Abu Dhabi media day.

"If you have any way to contact him or pass on a message on my behalf, tell him that yes, I am alive and well. I am waiting to see what he can show," he concluded.

Ankalaev's fighters in MMA

Magomed Ankalaev , 34, is an elite athlete and, not surprisingly, was the UFC light heavyweight champion. Currently, the Russian is ranked second in the division.

The athlete began his career in the sport in 2014 and debuted in the organization in 2018. Over the years, 'Big Ank' built a record of 20 wins, two losses, one draw, and one 'no contest' (fight without a result). His main victories were over Aleksandar Rakic , Alex Poatan , Anthony Smith , Johnny Walker , Thiago Marreta , and Volkan Oezdemir.

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