Dominick Cruz wants to see Magomed Ankalaev utilize his full skillset vs. Alex Pereira at UFC 313.
Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) challenges light heavyweight champion Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+).
Ankalaev previously said he won’t need to wrestle Pereira to beat him, but the former UFC bantamweight champion thinks that would be a mistake. No one has had an answer to “Poatan” on the feet at 205 pounds, and Cruz thinks it would be inadvisable for Ankalaev to follow a disproven path.
“We’ve seen the streak that Pereira’s put together, it’s about time we see him vs. a giant that can really take his punch,” Cruz told Helen Yee. “That’s the difference. Can Ankalaev take the power? If you’ve watched Pereira, he’s training with heavyweights in boxing so his striking is looking phenomenal. If you just watch the films that he lets you see, but Ankalaev doesn’t let you see anything. So you have no reads, you don’t know how good his striking is or isn’t.
“And he says he’s going to strike, but I hope not to be honest because you want to see Pereira really challenged, and I think the best way that Ankalaev can challenge him is by mixing the striking and the wrestling together. There’s a beauty to see alone in just that, mixing of the two arts rather than I’m just going to wrestle him, or I’m just going to strike with him. I think that’s the key to beating somebody like Pereira.”
Pereira’s power has shut the lights off his past three opponents, where he’s knocked out Jiri Prochazka twice, Jamahal Hill, and most recently Khalil Rountree at UFC 307.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.
