“I have a date and I accepted already, I hope my opponent will accept too. This time there will be no 5 rounds, I don’t get paid by the hour #BigANK” After winning the light heavyweight championship, Magomed Ankalaev’s unwavering confidence is on full display and he’s seeking an immediate rematch with Alex Pereira. On this occasion, Big Ank is convinced that a 5-round contest won’t be unnecessary as he plans to finish UFC’s most vicious knockout machine before that.
The current champion Magomed Ankalaev is eager to arrange the rematch quickly before Pereira can make the necessary changes to his game. While the Dagestani Steamroller successfully outstruck former two-time glory kickboxer, he may also be considering the fact Pereira completely neutralized his 12 takedown attempts.
At the UFC 313 main event, Alex Pereira proved proved his grappling mettle by successfully defending all of the current champion’s takedown attempts. That’s actually impressive to develop such a crucial part of MMA for a kickboxer like him. So, ‘Poatan’ knows that he needs to up his volume to actually hurt Ankalaev in the rematch. But, the bigger question is, when will he make his comeback? If you ask his former rival Jiri Prochazka, Pereira shouldn’t rush.
‘BJP’ in an interview with The Schmo, stated, “I don’t know when. I don’t know, they just posted on social sites. So, let’s see what will be the best date. I think for Alex, it’s right. He needs to prove or he has to have the first chance to… he deserve that, to fight against the champion again, right after. But, still I think he needs a little bit time to refresh himself after that and take a little bit of time to upgrade the style, and upgrade some few things, and win the battle.”
I have a date and I accepted already, I hope my opponent will accept too. This time there will be no 5 rounds, I don’t get paid by the hour #BigANK
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) March 20, 2025
The perspective of the former light heavyweight champion, who was defeated by Pereira twice, is quite valid. ‘Poatan’ needs a little time off not only to recover from the battles he fought but also to fabricate an effective game plan to defeat a tricky opponent Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira should heed the advice of his former rival and compete when the time is right—but he should also keep timelines in mind considering he isn’t getting any younger at 37 years of age.
We actually don’t know how Alex Pereira will approach the rematch, but we do know that Magomed Ankalaev will be favored by the odd makers in the rematch. Aside from a few fighters, and the ‘Poatan’ fans, most people will also side with Ankalaev. But surprisingly, another one of Pereira’s adversaries has picked him to win against the Dagestani Goliath, and you won’t believe who it is.
Jamahal Hill Picks Alex Pereira to Beat Magomed Ankalaev in the Rematch
Its surprising that time can change perceptions. Who could’ve thought in their wildest dreams that out of all people, Jamahal Hill would pick Pereira to win the rematch against Magomed Ankalaev.
Do you remember when Hill bought that broken Moai (Stone Face) statue at UFC 300 press conference? Or when they confronted each other at the UFC PI? It seemed like Hill and Pereira didn’t share the best relationship. So is this the start of a new friendship?
‘Sweet Dreams’ who is scheduled to fight Khalil Rountree at UFC Kansas City, revealed as per a post by Home Of Fighting, “I think he’s really capable of making the adjustments he needs to make to win that fight. He’s going to have to be locked into a gym where he don’t get tired, going to have up his cardio a lot, because his output is going to have to grow up. Working a lot more with the kicks, having a higher volume with the kicks in this fight will get it done. We’ll see.”
What do you think when should Pereira comeback? Drop y0ur comments below!
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