In an interview with Ushatayka, Ankalaev’s coach Sukhrab Magomedov accused Pereira of being sticky and having ointment on his body to help him defend takedowns. He even claimed that Pereira’s mentor Glover Teixeira was known to grease.

Pereira lost the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313 in March. “Poatan” was defeated via unanimous decision. The story of the fight was that Ankalaev was the aggressor, forcing Pereira to fight backwards, which limited the effectiveness of his striking.

How Pereira would handle Ankalaev's wrestling was a leading narrative heading into UFC 313. Few predicted Ankalaev would land the more effective strikes. While Pereira invested in calf kicks, Ankalaev focused on pressuring his opponent backward.