Should UFC fans be worried about Alex Pereira's lack of training before UFC 313?

Daniel Cormier tells Alex Pereira he "better get home" to train for Magomed Ankalaev.

Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) prepares to fight Jiri Prochazka (not pictured) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen ponder if Alex Pereira is doing all he can for Magomed Ankalaev.

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Champion after champion Pereira cleared out at middleweight and light heavyweight, now faced with his fourth title defense in less than a year, a steeper test the odds suggest Ankalaev seeing as though the Russian has only lost once in 22 fights, a last-second submission to Paul Craig in 2018.

Ankalaev will face Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 on Mar. 8 in Las Vegas. We have heard next to nothing from the Ankalaev camp as he prepares for war against Pereira, in the past expressing his desire to beat Pereira at his own high-level game in the striking department.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Chael Sonnen Says Ankalaev 'Locked Down', Uses Miocic As Example

Meanwhile, we see more and more of Alex Pereira outside of the gym than in it, traveling to events, making appearances, skits, etc. And that’s okay, right? ‘Poatan’ is simply put it, a superstar and social media sensation. But, when it comes to fighting the next best guy in the world, Chael Sonnen finds it concerning.

"The whole thing is very concerning," Sonnen said on Good Guy / Bad Guy (h/t: MMA Fighting). "One of the reasons I loved Stipe [Miocic] as a fireman is Stipe was able to lock down, the UFC and everybody else respected that schedule so much that he slept in the same bed most times. He was eating the same food, training with the same people...

“Meanwhile, you’ve got Ankalaev doing no media, no tours, and he’s locked down in the Caucasus region in the mountains. I think that it’s relevant," Sonnen brought up.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

'Pereira Better Get Home,' Daniel Cormier Warns UFC Champ

The sport is mental as it is physical, Pereira a highly-celebrated champion at the top of his game while Ankalaev's hungry for it all since his first title fight ended in a split draw with Jan Blachowicz, having to fight three times and now during Ramadan to get his title shot.

“He's in Vegas, I ran into him at the PI last week and he is honestly so locked in ready to win this fight against Alex Pereira," Daniel Cormier said of Ankalaev. “Pereira better get home. He needs to get home right now and make sure he’s locked in because he does have the hardest fight of his title reign to this point, I think.”

Alex Pereira is currently 5-0 at light heavyweight and his 10-fight UFC record would be untouchable had it not been for his rival Israel Adesanya.

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