Magomed Ankalaev made the decision to accept a title fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 313 on March 8, knowing that it would require some sacrifices due to the fight falling during Ramadan.
Ramadan requires fasting from dawn until sunset, abstaining from food and water during daylight hours. While this didn’t affect Ankalaev’s training, he did have to break his fast to ensure he could make weight for the fight against Pereira.
Ankalaev explained, “The only thing that we had to change is because the week of the fight is Ramadan, what I had to do was I had to break a couple of fasting sessions because I have to drink a lot of water in order for me to be able to make the weight. Other than that, everything is the same.”
Despite Pereira’s comments about food being delivered to Ankalaev’s room, the Russian remained focused on his preparation for the fight.
Ankalaev questioned Pereira’s focus on trivial matters leading up to the fight and wondered if it was a sign of nervousness.
He stated, “He’s obviously really worried about me and what I’m doing. He seems to be nervous. He’s following all these things. Like what can I say? I’ll tell you again. I had to break the fast a couple of times because there’s something I need to do in order to make the weight and in order to be prepared. He seems to be way too concerned with that.”
In addition to the discussion about Ramadan, Pereira proposed a charity wager for their fight, which Ankalaev declined due to religious beliefs.
Since you are so confident you will win, $200,000 to the winners charity of choice. Win or lose this will help those in need. It’s in your hands @AliAbdelaziz00 @AnkalaevM
— Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) March 3, 2025
Ankalaev reminded Pereira of the Islamic prohibition against gambling and suggested a direct donation to charity instead of a bet.
He said, “We were really clear about it online, we said as Muslims we cannot do bets. That’s not something that we support or that we look to do. However, if he wants to do something, any kind of charity or anything that he wants to do, we have the means to do it and I’d be happy to partake in that.”
Pereira’s focus on Ankalaev’s religious practices may be a sign of distraction leading up to their fight, but Ankalaev insists that his concerns were out of genuine care for his opponent’s preparation.
As the fight approaches, Ankalaev remains focused on his training and preparation, ready to face Pereira in the octagon.