Magomed Ankalaev seems tired of waiting after his massive title win at UFC 313. Dana White seems to be looking to set up a rematch between him and Alex Pereira, with many people believing that ‘Poatan’ deserves it. However, the Brazilian star hasn’t shown any indication as to when he might be ready for the fight. Pereira had a chance to fight Ankalaev at UFC 317, but he reportedly passed it on.
The uncertainty surrounding the rematch against Alex Pereira has been an irritating one for Magomed Ankalaev. After all, the former champion was open to giving him the opportunity to earn his title back. But after ‘Poatan’ declined to fight when he had the chance recently, the Dagestan native decided to take aim at Pereira, claiming that he’s willing to fight anybody who steps up for the challenge.
And guess what? There were a few suitors, including Jailton Almeida, who teased dropping down to light heavyweight due to the stagnant heavyweight title picture. He wants to fight Magomed Ankalaev for the 205-pound title, but it seems unlikely that Dana White would go ahead with that one. Meanwhile, the champion has recently opened up about his current situation in another social media post.
Magomed Ankalaev took aim at Alex Pereira once again, raising his doubts about the ex-champ’s UFC career. Besides that, the Dagestan native also revealed his wish to fight as soon as possible, especially during the Summer. “Alex done he never coming back let’s move on June July August I said yes,” Ankalaev wrote on X.
Alex done he never coming back let’s move on June July August I said yes
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) June 1, 2025
Magomed Ankalaev may have made his point and shared his plans, but he may not get a fight anytime soon. He wants June, July, or August, but Dana White has already mapped those months out with blockbuster main events at UFC 317, UFC 319, and UFC 319. So, Ankalaev is more than likely to stay on the sidelines for the next couple of months. And while there is a dilemma surrounding the rematch against Alex Pereira, an MMA veteran has suggested that Ankalaev take on another fighter. Let’s take a look at that front.
MMA veteran suggests Magomed Ankalaev to fight Carlos Ulberg
New Zealand’s own Carlos Ulberg is one of the few fighters with an undefeated streak currently on the UFC roster. Veteran Josh Thomson recently mentioned his name when talking about the light heavyweight title scene. Highlighting that most of the top 205ers have lost their recent fights, he believes Ulberg fits the description for the no.1 contender, and Ankalaev should be fighting him next.
“What you have is Jamahal Hill coming off a loss, Jan Blachowicz coming off a loss, Aleksandar Rakic coming off a loss, Khalil Rountree Jr. coming off a loss,” Josh Thomson stated on the ‘Weighing In’ podcast. “I would say Ulberg, put him in there, see if Ankalaev will stand with him as well. There’s nothing else you can do. I mean, we’re looking for that guy to bring an exciting fight to Ankalaev because right now, good luck trying to sell that.”
While that seems to be an interesting matchup for Magomed Ankalaev, it’s unlikely that Dana White would consider that. Alex Pereira is arguably the biggest active star in the UFC today, so he may want to give him his rematch before looking for other options. But what do you think about the current situation in the light heavyweight division? Should the UFC CEO pair Ankalaev up with another contender? Let us know in the comments down below.
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