Magomed Ankalaev is a devout Muslim, but he’s made an exception about Ramadan for the sake of his health heading into UFC 313. Ankalaev, 32, challenges Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight championship this Saturday at UFC 313 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+). When the fight was announced in January, the timing was considered curious given that it fell during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims are required to fast – abstaining from food and drink – from dawn to sunset on each of the 30 days as a way to practice self-restraint. Ankalaev said he’s been strictly adhering to Ramadan fasting rules since it began February 28. But with the fight just days away and a weight cut looming, Ankalaev explained that he’s loosened up. “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
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