The highly anticipated UFC 308 would witness Magomed Ankalaev taking on Alexander Rakic to maintain his status as the number one contender for the UFC light-heavyweight title. The Dagestani has time and time again emphasized that he wants to fight Alex Pereira for the 205 lbs gold, but it appears that Ankalaev has to prove his mettle to the division before going against the king. Well, according to Daniel Cormier, the promotion is saving its “Golden Goose” from Ankalaev.

Magomed Ankalaev h͏as a caree͏r recor͏d of 1͏9͏ ͏victor͏ies and one defeat. ͏He c͏urrently is on a͏ 10͏-f͏ight winning streak and is likely the toughest matchup for Alex P͏ereira, considering t͏hat ‘Poatan’ has yet͏ to face a wrestle͏r. Acc͏or͏ding͏ to͏ ͏Cormi͏er, the UFC is protecting other c͏h͏ampions fr͏om Ankalaev͏ for ͏a brief ͏period.

Daniel Cormier lashes out at Dana White to protect Alex Pereira against Magomed Ankalaev

No one has been able to stop Alex Pereira since he moved to the light-heavyweight division. Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka were the biggest prospects to stop the fury of ‘Poatan’ but both of them failed badly as Pereira made sure that they received the ‘Left Hook From Hell’. However, a new challenge is coming towards his path in the shape of Magomed Ankalaev. The Dagestani fighter has repeatedly called out Alex Pereira for a fight. Even the champion has agreed to face him, but at a later date. However, Daniel Cormier believes that the promotion is protecting Alex Pereira.

While having a conversation with Chael Sonnen on ESPN’s ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’, Cormier explained that he was utterly shocked when he witnessed Ankalaev fighting Alexander Rakic at UFC 308, “I don’t know why Pereira is not fighting Ankalaev right now. I don’t know why that’s not happening. What I do like is that now Ankalaev has to pass another test because what the UFC is kind of saying here is, ‘We’ve got this star, and we know that this guy here could be a real potential issue for that star.’ They will fight eventually, but they will fight when we have no other option, and I like it.”

He further added, “But I was very rarely surprised when fights get announced. I remember sitting in Manchester, and they said what UFC 308 held. When I saw Rakic taking on Ankalaev, my jaw dropped. I was like, ‘They actually did it.’ Sometimes you’ve got to protect that golden goose a little bit.”

Many in the MMA community believe that Magomed Ankalaev’s wrestling skills might give a very hard time to Alex Pereira, but undermining the mettle of a dual-weight champion is always a bad idea. Interestingly, Ankalaev has stated that rather than going for takedowns, he would fight ‘Poatan’ standing. Well, Ankalaev’s game plan might be a bit confusing, but he is confident about his victory as he has issued a stern warning to Pereira’s camp.

Magomed Ankalaev’s strong warning to Pereira and his camp

Alex Pereira has knocked out most of his recent opponents. The only fighter who was able to resist Pereira’s destructive power was Israel Adesanya, but Magomed Ankalaev plans to not only derail the Pereira hype train but also make sure that it never gets on the track ever again. While having a conversation with Aslanbek Badaev, Ankalaev gave a very strong warning to ‘Poatan’.

He said, “Many experts understand that I can easily beat Pereira. I think with his speed, he won’t touch me at all. The most he can do is hit me with a low kick. I want to beat him up. I just want to attack him, just show him that I’m better than him.” Ankalaev’s last win was Jhonny Walker, while on the other hand, Pereira’s last three bouts were against former champs of the division.

Their matchup would decide the fate of the division as Alex Pereira is planning to jump to the heavyweight division sooner or later. Regardless, what’s your take on the hubbub? State your thoughts in the comments below.