Alex Pereira aims to regain belt in UFC 320 rematch at T-Mobile Arena

Magomed Ankalaev was supposed to have a massive grappling advantage over Alex Pereira when the top two light heavyweights met the first time for the UFC title in March, only to go 0-for-12 on takedown attempts.

Yet Ankalaev took the belt from the superstar striker by controlling the stand-up and keeping the former champion on his heels throughout most of the 25 minutes of a surprisingly lackluster fight.

The action has been more intriguing in the six months between that night and their rematch for the belt in the main event of UFC 320 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Between greasing allegations from Ankalaev and his coach questioning the legitimacy of Pereira’s legendary power, the war of words has escalated between the normally peaceful warriors.

“Obviously, there was a lot of things said on my side,” Ankalaev said through an interpreter. “There was a lot of things said on his side. There were misunderstandings in between. All of this stuff just added a lot more aggression to the fight and to the buildup to the fight, and I think we should expect a more aggressive second fight than the first fight.”

A story to be told

Even though Pereira claims to not pay much attention to what is posted on the internet, he conceded it could be good for business.

“There is a rivalry,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “I think he’s bothered by me. It’s not on my part, and I can’t answer for him, but I do feel like he’s bothered by me.

“For me, it makes no difference (having animosity). I’m always cool. I’m normal. He’s the one who seems nervous and scared. He’s the one who seems to be affected by it. But now there’s a small story to be told.”

Pereira also appeared to confirm rumors of an illness and an injury before the first fight when he recently told CBS Sports he was fighting at about 40 percent but stopped short of providing details.

Ankalaev responded by reminding Pereira the bout took place during Ramadan when he was fasting, placing himself at about 20 percent of full strength.

Ankalaev believes the increased animosity will help him implement his style even better, as Pereira could get out on his front foot more and make it more difficult to defend him.

“I enjoy that,” Ankalaev said. “I like when the opponent tries to pressure me forward because it plays into my plan.”

Pereira, also the former middleweight champion, can become the second fighter in UFC history to win belts in two divisions and have a second title reign in at least one of them. He came to MMA later in life after a long run as a world champion kickboxer, but has a chance to leave an impressive legacy.

“For sure, it’s going to be great for my story and for everything that I have built,” said Pereira, the 2024 UFC Fighter of the Year. “I have had this fast career in the UFC, and I have been able to achieve a lot, like the (title-winning knockout of Israel) Adesanya. Against him, I won the belt and then I lost the belt. Then I won the (light heavyweight) belt, so winning the belt again is going to be great for my story.”

Record-setting champion

Also on the card, Merab Dvalishvili will make the third defense of the bantamweight title when he takes on Cory Sandhagen.

Dvalishvili has won 13 straight fights since his last loss in 2018 and has the record for most career takedowns in UFC history with 97.

He can take sole possession of fourth place in terms of longest winning streaks in UFC history with a victory.

The pay-per-view card will air at 7 p.m. on ESPN+, with the preliminary fights beginning at 3.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.