Video: Magomed Ankalaev fought against Alex Pereira at UFC 320 with a broken rib
Magomed Ankalaev’s quick loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 320 was stunning, but a new detail makes it even more remarkable, Ankalaev fought with a broken rib!
A video released by Brazilian reporter Léo Guimaraes, suggests Magomed Ankalaev fought Alex Pereira with a broken rib. Guimaraes claims in his tweet that footage, taken about 20 days before the title fight, shows Ankalaev receiving a doctor’s examination for the injury,
Sources say parts of his team including his manager Ali Abdelaziz tried to stop him from fighting because of it, but Ankalaev pushed through anyway.
This decision immediately drew criticism from industry-leading expert, Luke Thomas, who stated: “Fighting with a broken rib is such a remarkably bad idea.”
Fighting with a broken rib is such a remarkably bad idea. I'm going to assume the commission didn't know, but certainly his inner circle did. Sending him out there in this condition against any opponent, especially Pereira, is begging for catastrophe. https://t.co/OO7bxpmxMC
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) October 6, 2025
check out the video below:
Ali Abdelaziz, manager of Magomed Ankalaev, released a lengthy statement on Instagram shortly after Ankalaev’s first-round TKO loss to Alex Pereira. Ali strongly hinted that the fighter entered the bout compromised (likely due to an injury or other camp issues), stating that Ankalaev “should never have fought this time” and that he personally advised against it.
Here’s the full statement:
“Saturday night, Magomed Ankalaev fought Alex Pereira. In the rematch, and Alex Pereira won. Congratulations to him and his team. I know his coaches, managers, and always show them respect. I don’t know Alex personally. But, I am Team Magomed Ankalaev. Whatever I can do to help him, I will do it.This is about Magomed Ankalaev and Alex. Alex was the best man on Saturday night. And we take our losses like men. We move on. I don’t have any problems with Alex. I respect everything he accomplished. There’s a lot of things happened with Ankalaev in his camp.If it was up to me, he should never have fought due to some things. But he’s a grown man, and he made his choice. He should never have fought this time. But that’s the fight game. You take the good with the bad.”