Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall believes Magomed Ankalaev’s victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 313 might actually benefit him.
Pereira had previously hinted at a potential move to heavyweight, fueled by questions about a possible fight with Jon Jones. A Pereira win could have complicated Aspinall’s own plans to face Jones for the unified heavyweight title.
Ultimately, Ankalaev defeated Pereira in their five-round main event, although some argued that Pereira should have won. Aspinall strongly disagrees with this viewpoint, regardless of its potential impact on his future.
“I can’t believe people watched that fight and thought Pereira won,” Aspinall stated in an interview. “It’s astonishing to me how many uninformed fans are out there and how many considered it a boring fight.”
“I thought it was a great fight, both fighters performed well. However, I believe Ankalaev was simply the superior fighter that night.”
While Ankalaev didn’t secure a knockout, he consistently pressured Pereira with forward motion, takedown attempts, and relentless pressure, preventing Pereira from establishing his fighting style.
Aspinall was impressed by Ankalaev’s approach. Despite the focus on Ankalaev’s grappling advantage, he didn’t heavily rely on takedowns to defeat Pereira.
“I think Ankalaev kept Pereira guessing,” Aspinall explained. “Pereira’s ground game might be a concern for him, as he seemed wary of takedowns. While he defended takedowns effectively, from my perspective, Ankalaev wasn’t primarily focused on taking him down. He attempted some takedowns, but only a couple were with full commitment.”
“I think he mainly aimed to tire Pereira out with grappling in the clinch against the cage. Ankalaev had a perfect strategy, avoiding overcommitment and wearing Pereira down.”
This defeat ended Pereira’s five-fight winning streak at light heavyweight and halted his attempt at a fourth title defense.
The fight outcome might also diminish Pereira’s chances of moving to heavyweight to pursue a champion versus champion fight with Jones. This clears a potential path for Aspinall, but he still respects Pereira’s recent achievements.
“He is free to do whatever he wants,” Aspinall said about Pereira. “He’s a huge star. He has options at middleweight, light heavyweight, or heavyweight.”
Regarding his own aspirations, Aspinall emphasized his singular goal: fighting for the undisputed title, regardless of the opponent.
“I just want to fight for an undisputed title,” Aspinall stated. “I don’t care who it’s against.”
