Chael Sonnen accuses Alex Poatan of avoiding Magomed Ankalaev and questions rematch: 'Nobody asked for it'

Magomed Ankalayev in victory over Alex Poatán No. UFC 313. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

In less than two weeks Alex Poatán will have the opportunity to avenge the defeat suffered by Magomed Ankalayev No. UFC 313 and regain the light heavyweight title in the second fight with the Russian. However, to Chael Sonnen, not only does the rematch come at an undesirable time, but the first fight was avoided as much as possible by the Brazilian and the Ultimate itself.

See too

Veteran points out mistake made by Poatan against Ankalaev and suggests 'ideal strategy' for rematch

Parrumpinha reveals why he blocked Moicano from facing Charles do Bronx at UFC Rio: 'That's easy'

Recovered from injury, Marco Tulio returns to the octagon in November against European sensation

The American gangster addressed the issue in a video posted to his YouTube channel last week. The former fighter recalled the Russian's path to becoming the undisputed number one contender and how other athletes had the opportunity to fight for the belt before Ankalaev.

"The first fight wasn't requested. The first time these guys fought, it was because we found ourselves in a situation where there was nowhere left to go. We tried everything—we even tried Rakic ​​to derail the train, we brought in Khalil, ranked number 8—we did everything to avoid the fight. Now we're redoing the same fight that nobody asked for," Sonnen said.

“Nobody Asked for This Rematch” – Chael Sonnen on Ankalaev vs Pereira

"The first fight wasn't asked for. The first time these guys fought, it was because we found ourselves in a situation where there was nowhere else to go. We tried everything—we even tried Rakic ​​to derail… pic.twitter.com/pemhBF7p9T

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 23, 2025

Magomed Ankalaev challenged Poatan several times to fight for the title

Alex Poatán e Magomed Ankalayev staring down before the fight (Photo: Instagram)

PUBLICITY:

With only one loss as a professional in his UFC debut, against Paul CraigAnkalaev was long seen as one of the toughest challenges for the Brazilian. However, the Russian had a long journey to finally become champion of the world's biggest MMA event.

After sharing the octagon with Jan Blachowicz, Johnny Walker e Aleksandr Rakic, the Sambo champion silenced his critics and dominated Poatan in the main fight of the UFC 313, winning by unanimous decision. Despite this, the rematch will take place on October 4th, and the Brazilian discarded the possibility of a trilogy if he manages to win the confrontation.