Anakalev challenges Pereira for the light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 313 Photo: UFC
UFC 320 - Ankalaev vs Pereira
2pm, Sunday, 5 October NZT
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Live blog updates on RNZ
Poatan wants his belt back.
Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira will run it back for UFC light heavyweight gold, and Pereira promises the sequel will be a different story.
Ankalaev is the latest phenom from the Dagestan dynasty which has taken over UFC.
The Russian dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 in a result few saw coming following Poatan's war path to the top of the division.
Rewind to March and Pereira was the most feared man in combat sports, destroying all who dared challenge his crown.
His battle cry of 'Chama' sent shivers down the spines of opponents, as they discovered in brutal fashion that 'stone hands' was not just a moniker.
That was until he ran into the destructive Dagestani force that is Ankalaev.
The most recent champion from the conveyor belt of killers forged in the Caucasus, unlike fellow compatriots Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ankalaev prefers to stand and strike, utilising his suffocating wrestling as a secondary weapon.
With deadly stand up and a ground games in his arsenal, Ankalaev embodies a true mixed martial artist, and believes Pereira's one dimensional style will again be no match for him.
Whoever gets their hand raised on Sunday, they are bound to come face to face with Kiwi Carlos Ulberg who will be sitting cageside in Vegas.
Ulberg all but guaranteed he is next in line after an emphatic round one knockout of former title challenger Dominick Reyes last weekend.
The 'Black Jag' is waiting to pounce.
About the fighters
Magomed Ankalaev - champion
Nation - Russia
Record - 20 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, 1 no contest.
Age - 32
Height - 6ft 3in (1.92m)
Weight - 205lbs (93kgs)
Reach - 75 inches (191cm)
Fighting style - An exceptionally well-rounded fighter with a dangerous stand up game, boasting ten knockouts in his career, though, as with most Russian fighters, his base is in elite wrestling.
Alex 'Poatan' Pereira - challenger
Nation - Brazil
Record - 12 wins, 3 losses.
Age - 37
Height - 6ft 4 inches (1.95m)
Weight - 205lbs (93kgs)
Reach - 79 inches (200cm)
Fighting style - A kickboxer, with ungodly striking power, Pereira utilises leg and body kicks to break down opponents before hunting for the killer shot, more often than not, his vicious left hook.
What happened in the first fight?
For the first time since switching from the ring to the cage, Pereira was unable to mount any meaningful offence against Ankalaev. The Russian stymied Poatan with relentless clinch work and strikes.
While Pereira was able to land a few of his trademark low kicks early, Ankalaev absorbed the shots and fired back with clinch work but failed to takedown the champion from a dozen attempts.
However, his control time mixed with accumulated damage across the five rounds was enough to earn Ankalaev a UD win with scores of 49-46, and 48-47x2.
After losing his UFC courtesy of a buzzer beating triangle choke from Paul Craig, Ankalaev has not slipped since, rising a stunning 13-fight unbeaten streak.
Pereira enters the fight on the back of his first loss at light heavyweight, and just his second defeat in the UFC.
What are they saying?
"Everyone knows what I have done in this sport. I was on my worse [sic] day and that's all he could do?" - Pereira.
"Saturday night, I'm going to beat him up like he stole something from me. I'm going to punish your boy. There is no more chama, we killed it!" - Ankalaev.
Prediction- Ankalaev by split decision.
What does this mean for Carlos Ulberg?
The Kiwi cannot be denied his shot at Sunday's winner, now riding a nine fight winning streak and ranked third in the division. Ulberg will be in attendance in Vegas, and could be invited into the cage at the close of the main event to set up the next title fight. While Prochazka sits ahead of him in the rankings, the Czech has already been beaten twice by Pereira, leaving the Black Jag as the obvious contender to the light heavyweight throne.
Who else is on the card?
In the co-main we have gold on the line in a banger at bantamweight.
Champion Merab Dvalishvili is a takedown machine with an inhuman gas tank.
His suffocating style saw him end the hype show that was Suga Sean O'Malley, and defended his title twice in 2025, against Umar Nurmagomedov and in a rematch with O'Malley.
He now pits his endless supply of energy against knockout artist Cory Sandhagen.
Sandhagen is a vicious striker and among the more well-rounded threats in bantamweight.
Elsewhere, former champion Jiri Prochazka meets Khalil Rountree Jr in what is bound to be a violent battle at light heavyweight.
UFC 320 Main Card
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira for the UFC Light Heavyweight title
Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen for the UFC Bantamweight champion
Jiri Prochazka vs Khalil Rountree Jr.
Josh Emmett vs Youssef Zalal
Joe Pyfer vs Abus Magomedov
UFC 320 Prelims
Ateba Gautier vs Ozzy Diaz
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Andre Muniz
Chris Gutierrez vs Farid Basharat
JooSang Yoo vs Daniel Santos
Macy Chiasson vs Yana Santos
Patchy Mix vs Jakub Wiklacz
Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay Veretennikov
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Austin Vanderford
Veronica Hardy vs Brogan Walker
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