Dillon Danis thinks he knows why Alex Pereira looked ‘gunshy’ at UFC 313

Alex Pereira's takedown defense isn't what surprised Dillon Danis at UFC 313.

Styles make fights, and Magomed Ankalaev's ultimately triumphed over a deadly striker in the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Pereira on Saturday.

Ankalaev's as well-rounded as a light heavyweight can get, though it wasn't his wrestling that got him him the unanimous decision nod. Ankalaev outlanded Pereira on the feet, three rounds to two, tying him up in the clinch in the later stages of the fight, even stunning Pereira at one point.

Magomed Ankalaev took a unanimous decision over Alex Pereira at UFC 313. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Israel Adesanya delivers strong take on Alex Pereira’s loss to Magomed Ankalaev

Dillon Danis Voices Concern Over Alex Pereira's Performance

Before the fight against Ankalaev, Pereira had worked with a former teammate of Conor McGregor's, grappling star Dillon Danis. Sparring hard rounds with "Poatan", Danis says he predicted he wasn't going to get taken down by the Dagestan-native Ankalaev.

"0 for 12 [on takedowns]. I knew that was gonna happen," Danis said on The Ariel Helwani Show.

"The one thing that surprised me - obviously I can't talk because I'm not Alex and I'm not the f****** best striker in UFC right now, but he just looked gunshy to me. He wasn't as aggressive."

"If I Throw [Strikes], I'm Gonna Get Taken Down..."

While Pereira did defend all 12 of Ankalaev's takedown attempts, Danis believes it was the threat of the takedown that made the former Glory Kickboxing Champion second-guess himself on the feet.

"I think that maybe it was just the confidence in the wrestling," Danis explained. "After the first round, I noticed when he asked Glover [Teixeira] like, 'Oh, how did I do on the takedown defense?' Then maybe that was in his head, like, 'Okay, if I throw, I'm gonna get taken down..'"

Alex Pereira defended all of Magomed Ankalaev's takedown attempts. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

"So, I think this time now that he knows that he can't take him down, that he's gonna come in and throw," Danis said of how a potential rematch plays out between Ankalaev and Pereira.

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Dillon Danis praised Alex Pereira as a 'f****** beast' in the sparring room, saying he's one of the strongest people he's ever known.

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