Rising Chinese fighter is backing Magomed Ankalaev to beat Alex Pereira for the second time.
Pereira lost his light heavyweight belt in March during UFC 313 in Las Vegas, where Ankalaev took a decision over five rounds.
He had successfully defended his title three times before that loss. But Ankalaev controlled their first meeting from start to finish, setting himself up as the new champion at 205 pounds.
Now, Pereira gets his chance to reclaim the title at UFC 320, which takes place on October 4. The event will also feature Merab Dvalishvili defending his belt again.
The Brazilian star has already made history as a two-division champion just two years after joining the UFC. But not everyone believes he is ready for another run. One contender thinks fame and attention might be getting in the way of his focus this time around.
Zhang Mingyang claims Alex Pereira is ‘too rich’ to beat Magomed Ankalaev
One of the fighters hoping to make his mark at light heavyweight with a knockout run similar to Pereira’s is Zhang Mingyang.
Speaking to MMA Fighting before his most significant fight yet in Shanghai, ‘Mountain Tiger’ offered a frank assessment of Pereira’s prospects in the UFC 320 rematch against Ankalaev.
“I think Ankalaev can defend his title because I think Alex Pereira is not as motivated as before.
“I mean, if we can get the old Pereira back, he’s still the, let’s say, better striker than Ankalaev. But for now, if he still fights like the way like he fought last fight, I think Ankalaev can still win this fight.”
Speaking about what has changed for Pereira since his UFC debut, Zhang said: “He has earned too much money. He’s too rich. I think no matter who you are as a fighter or as a human being if you are too rich you are just kind of lacking motivation compared to when you were young when you were poor when you were hungry.”
Many fans point to money and fame as the main reasons behind Conor McGregor’s fall. Whether the same will happen to ‘Poatan’ remains to be seen.
UFC Shanghai win could push Zhang Mingyang closer to title shot
If he can secure a win on Saturday, Zhang will certainly be keeping a close watch on the next light heavyweight title fight.
After stopping Anthony Smith in what turned out to be Smith’s final bout, the Chinese fighter has now recorded 19 first-round finishes across his 19 career wins. He will aim to add another ranked opponent to that list this weekend.
This will be Zhang’s second time fighting in front of a home crowd as he headlines UFC Shanghai against Johnny Walker on August 23.
A victory would improve his promotional record to 4-0 and put him even closer to a future matchup with either Ankalaev or Pereira.
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