UFC: Alex Pereira denies ‘greasing’ claims from Ankalaev camp

Alex Pereira has denied claims from Magomed Ankalaev’s camp that he was “greasing” during their fight at UFC 313.

Ankalaev stripped Pereira of the UFC light-heavyweight title in March with a points win, but his coach accused Pereira of using oil on his body to make it harder for Ankalaev to grab him.

Pereira, 37, successfully defended all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts in their fight.

“Absolutely did not put anything on my body,” Pereira told the Ariel Helwani show., external

“Sounds to me like he’s trying to make an excuse to justify the fact that he trained a guy to take me down, but the guy got stuffed on 12 takedowns.

“You mess up and you try to make excuses to justify that. You should ask the coach if we put Vaseline on the mat as well?

“Is that why Ankalaev fell on his back? Because he got taken down.”

The defeat to Ankalaev was just the second time Pereira has lost in the UFC and ended a five-fight winning streak which has seen him win UFC titles in two weight classes.

Pereira says he expects to fight Ankalaev in a rematch next.

Ankalaev, 32, said on social media he had already been offered the rematch and expected it to happen in August.

“Nothing got to me yet [in terms of a contract], but August is a good date,” Pereira said.

“As soon as the contract gets in, I’m signing.

“It doesn’t have to be a knockout [in our rematch], but I feel that I have enough game to do whatever I want with this guy.”