UFC 313: Alex Pereira dares Magomed Ankalaev with $200,000 charity bet

Alex Pereira has turned up the heat on title challenger Magomed Ankalaev ahead of their title tussle at UFC 313 this weekend – with a $200,000 bet.

Reigning undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion Pereira takes on Russia's Ankalaev, who has lost just once in his MMA career, with the pair set to throw down in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Many believe that Ankalaev presents the biggest danger to Pereira's reign as 205-pound champion, but the Brazilian is calm and confident in his abilities ahead of the fight, and has challenged Ankalaev and his team to back themselves by accepting the terms of his bet.

“Since you are so confident you will win, $200,000 to the winner’s charity of choice,” he wrote on X as he addressed both Ankalaev and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

“Win or lose this will help those in need. It’s in your hands.”

Pereira then sat down in front of the camera to explain the bet in detail as he challenged the Dagestani challenger to take the bet, which will benefit the hospital or medical association of the winner's choosing as Pereira called on the loser to pay $200,000 to the winner's children's cancer charity of choice.

Since you are so confident you will win, $200,000 to the winners charity of choice. Win or lose this will help those in need. It’s in your hands @AliAbdelaziz00 @AnkalaevM
— Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) March 3, 2025

“Saturday, March 8 in Las Vegas, I’m betting $200,000 to donate to children in need. Children with cancer. Many people are in need of this help,” he said on Instagram.

“Since Ali and Ankalaev seem to be a hundred percent confident that they’ll beat me, I think they will accept this challenge.

“I am a very grounded person, very conscious of everything that I say in all my interviews. With everyone I’ve fought, I always go with the will to win. I want to win, but I don’t know if I will win.

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A post shared by Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira)

“Either way, with such thinking, I want to bet $200,000. It does not matter. Gotta see with Ankalaev and his manager. If someone wants to sponsor him the $200,000 and put it in his name to make the bet. That’s no problem for me. The $200,000 I’ll give from my own pocket.

“I’m aware I want to do this. If I will win, I do not know. I truly want to win. And look here, I can lose, but many people in need will win – those with cancer – with certainty that (it) will help them a lot.

“So I will leave here the challenge to the manager Ali. It is with you now. In front of all the fans. I’m here with my team. I got to Las Vegas. It is here. I don’t go back. So everyone, let’s comment, tag his manager, Ali and Ankalaev. Let’s see if they really accept this challenge. Because they are 100 percent sure they will win, they’ve got to bet. They have to.

“Our managers can come together and make a contract to leave everything clear. I’m gonna leave everything clear. Winning or losing – let’s say I lose, right? I’ll do the right thing. Ankalaev will look for something in his country. A legitimate association or hospital that is in need. I’ll go directly to deposit the money in their account of whatever association.

“And the same thing on my end. If he loses, he’ll make a donation to an institution for those with cancer. Any hospital I’ll choose and he deposits to those people from that institution. Here is my challenge for you. CHAMA!”

Ankalaev replied on X, as he distanced himself from the gambling element of the challenge, while suggesting that he'd still be interested in helping out a good cause.

"As a Muslim you know betting is forbidden in Islam, and also as a Muslim every year I have to give 2.5% of my wealth to charity this is one of the five pillars of Islam," he wrote.

"Many kids around the world are in need and we can do things after the fight but we don’t have to publicize it."

As a Muslim you know betting is forbidden in Islam, and also as a Muslim every year I have to give 2.5% of my wealth to charity this is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Many kids around the world are in need and we can do things after the fight but we don’t have to publicize it https://t.co/5RXfHehW3n
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) March 3, 2025

He later added, "Your manager and my manager have a good relationship and we can let them handle that, see you soon."

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