Former champion Alex Pereira is putting his money where his mouth is ahead of his scheduled match with Magomed Ankalaev in March at Las Vegas.
The Brazilian athlete has proposed a $200,000 wager, with the proceeds going to charitable causes, specifically to help children in need and those battling cancer.
“Since Ali and Ankalaev seem 100% certain they will win against me, I think they will accept this challenge,” Pereira said. “I am a grounded person, conscious of everything I say in all my interviews. With everyone I’ve faced, I always go with the will to win – I want to win, but I don’t know if I will.”
Despite this measured outlook, Pereira is committed to the substantial wager. “Even with this mindset, I want to bet $200,000. It doesn’t matter if it comes from Ankalaev, his manager, or if someone wants to sponsor that $200,000 and put it in their name for this bet, I have no problem with that. The $200,000 from my side is coming from my pocket, I am aware of that. I want to do this.”
Pereira emphasized the charitable aspect of his proposition: “I might not win, but I want to win, really. Look, I might lose, but many people in need will win. For the cancer patients, this will surely help them a lot.”
The challenge remains open to Ankalaev and his manager Ali Abdelaziz as they prepare for their upcoming match.
