Magomed Ankalaev has explained his decision to break fast during Ramadan, while preparing for his UFC 313 title fight against Alex Pereira.
In Saturday’s main event in Las Vegas, Ankalaev will challenge Pereira for the light-heavyweight title. The bout marks the Russian’s second title shot, after he fought Jan Blachowicz to a draw in December 2022 with the vacant belt on the line.
Ankalaev has faced a complicated road back to a shot at the gold, with some fans feeling the UFC would rather have Pereira – an enigmatic knockout artist – as champion, instead of Ankalaev. Even the timing of the Russian’s title shot has proven complicated for him.
As a practising Muslim, Ankalaev has been observing Ramadan, which requires fasting between dawn and sunset from 28 February until 30 March this year. However, he has had to compromise due to his preparation for UFC 313.
“Yes, I have been following the fast to the letter,” Ankalaev told AG Fight, “except this week, in which I will have to break the fast a few times, because I need to make sure I drink water to have a successful weight-cut.
“But other than that: I started together with Ramadan, I’ve been fasting, and after the fight obviously I will also follow the rules of the religion.”
UFC fighters typically avoid fighting during or immediately after Ramadan, to minimise the physical effects on their bodies. However, it seems Ankalaev feared losing his long-awaited fight with Pereira if he said ‘no’ to competing during Ramadan.
Speaking to Sky Sports NZ, the 32-year-old said: “It was a really difficult decision, and we kind of pleaded with the UFC a little bit that maybe there’s a possibility to hold it and move it to a different date and keep me as the No 1 contender.
“However, that’s the decision they made, so we as a team had to make sure to understand: this is the type of opportunity we’ve been after for so long. For now, to let it go would not have been a good choice, so we decided that – even though it is the holy month for us – we have to jump on this opportunity and do the best with what we have.”
Magomed Ankalaev pleaded with the UFC to move his fight to a different date due to Ramadan while keeping him as the No. 1 contender. 😲
“It was a really difficult decision, and we kind of pleaded with the UFC a little bit that maybe there’s a possibility to hold it and then move… pic.twitter.com/1XcKBnfvOU
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 6, 2025
Earlier this week, Pereira offered to make a bet with Ankalaev over the result of their main event, but Ankalaev refused, citing his religion’s anti-gambling stance.
Pereira, 37, has been in remarkable form since moving to the light-heavyweight division in 2023. That year, the Brazilian – who previously held the middleweight belt – outpointed Blachowicz then knocked out Jiri Prochazka to win the vacant 205lb title. Both men are former champions.
Then, in 2024, Pereira knocked out Prochazka again, between stoppage wins over Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. Hill is also a former title holder.
The victory over Rountree Jr in October marked Pereira’s most recent bout. “Poatan” overcame a slow start to produce a clinic as the fight wore on, ultimately stopping the American in round four.
