Magomed Ankalaev nearly pulled out of his UFC 320 main event against Alex Pereira.
Ankalaev’s reign as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion was cut short over the weekend as a vintage Alex Pereira returned fire for a first-round knockout in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pereira rocked Ankalaev early into their fight at UFC 320, taking him out with ground and pound strikes in their title rematch.
Following Saturday night’s result, Ankalaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz hinted that Ankalaev entered the Octagon with a preexisting injury.
However, it wasn’t just any injury for Ankalaev.
Magomed Ankalaev suffered broken rib prior to Alex Pereira fight at UFC 320
A broken rib is one of the worst injuries you can have before a fight.
According to a report from Léo Guimaraes, Ankalaev suffered a rib injury about 20 days before his title fight against Pereira.
Guimaraes shared two videos of Ankalaev getting his broken rib checked out by a doctor.
“I confirmed that part of the team tried to prevent [Ankalaev] from competing, but the decision was not unanimous,” Guimaraes wrote on X.
Pereira violently went to the body of Ankalaev while he was chasing the ground and pound finish at UFC 320.
MMA world reacts to Magomed Ankalaev’s pre-fight injury
While Ankalaev was reportedly compromised by the injury, the fans wouldn’t cut the former champion any slack in the aftermath of his title loss.
“A rib doesn’t stop him from getting pressured the moment the bell rings and getting clipped with a right hand,” one fan wrote on X regarding the news.
“Excuses,” another fan added.
I’m sure if his rib was healthy he would’ve blocked that overhand 🙄
— HydroMMA 🇺🇸 (@DiegoLopesTick) October 6, 2025
“I hate this s—. Just pull out,” a fan said of Ankalaev.
“People were not talking like this when Alex said he was injured in the first fight, but I guess the Dagestani hate is too big,” another fan weighed in on the backlash.