Pereira Says He Requested Matchup at UFC 313; Ankalaev Issues Warning

According to Alex Pereira, he got exactly what he asked for at UFC 313.

It was announced on Saturday that Pereira will defend his light heavyweight crown against Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 313 headliner on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Pereira has been accused of avoiding the fight by his opponent, he claims that he requested to face the Dagestani light heavyweight.

“I did say that I wanted to take a break, but I started training again. I started feeling good. I started seeing my evolution,” Pereira told ESPN through a translator. “So I called my managers right away and I said, ‘I want to fight. I want to fight in March. I want to fight Ankalaev.’ I know he keeps saying…