Magomed Ankalaev Had to Break Ramadan Fasting to Ensure Successful Weight Cut

With a title fight on the horizon, Magomed Ankalaev hasn’t been able to strictly adhere to his normal religious practices.

This year, Muslims are observing Ramadan from Feb. 28 through March 29. Part of that observance involves abstaining from food or drink during that 30-day period from sunrise to sunset. Ankalaev, who faces Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight championship in the UFC 313 main event on Saturday, admitted that he had to break his fast during fight week — but only slightly.

“I have been following the fast strictly except for this week, where I will have to break it a few times because I need to make sure I drink water to have a successful weight cut,” Ankalaev told Ag.Fight. “But apart from that, I started with Ramadan. I have been fasting. And after the fight, I will obviously also follow the rules of religion as it has to be.”

The 32-year-old Ankalaev is unbeaten in his last 13 Octagon appearances and is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he bested Johnny Walker and Aleksandar Rakic. In his previous bid for light heavyweight gold, the Dagestani battled Jan Blachowicz to a split draw at UFC 282.

UFC 313 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The evening’s main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+.