REPORT | Alex Pereira to finally fight Magomed Ankalaev in UFC return

According to Ariel Helwani, UFC champion Alex Pereira will likely face Magomed Ankalaev next.

‘Poatan’ hasn’t been seen in the octagon since a short-notice clash with Khalil Rountree in October. While many hoped to see Alex Pereira face the rising Magomed Ankalaev, he instead met ‘The War Horse’. Despite some early success from Rountree, the Brazilian broke down his challenger to score a fourth-round knockout win at UFC 307.

Just a few weeks later, Magomed Ankalaev made his return at UFC 308. There, the Russian scored a unanimous decision victory over fellow contender Aleksandar Rakic. In the process, Ankalaev moved his unbeaten streak to 13 fights, seemingly setting the stage for a title fight with Alex Pereira. However, ‘Poatan’ later stated he wouldn’t face the Russian next.

In the last few weeks, Alex Pereira has been linked to several opponents. Earlier today, a report emerged about the UFC light-heavyweight champion potentially moving to heavyweight for a clash with Alexander Volkov. ‘Drago’ was last seen in the cage at UFC 310 in December, suffering a controversial decision loss to Ciryl Gane.

RELATED: REPORT | UFC INVOLVED WITH CONOR MCGREGOR VS. LOGAN PAUL TALKS, FIGHT TARGETED FOR APRIL

Alex Pereira’s next opponent will be Magomed Ankalaev, per sources. That’s the plan.

No plans of him moving to heavyweight any time soon. In fact, per his team, he’ll need at least six months to move up the way they want him to.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 10, 2025

REPORT | UFC champion Alex Pereira is expected to face Magomed Ankalaev next

For what it’s worth, the UFC light-heavyweight champion has repeatedly teased a move to heavyweight. With Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall tied up, a fight with Volkov is probably the biggest matchup Pereira could secure right now.

However, those reports about Alex Pereira vs. Alexander Volkov are allegedly false. Earlier today, longtime MMA journalist Ariel Helwani released a lengthy post on X. There, the podcaster revealed that ‘Poatan’ was most likely to face Magomed Ankalaev next, as the Brazilian would need six months to move up to heavyweight.

As of now, there is no timetable for a potential Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev title fight. However, the UFC light-heavyweight champion has repeatedly stated his intent to fight in early 2025. While the challenger might need some time to prepare, ‘Poatan’ has made it clear he has no problem fighting on short notice.

What do you make of this UFC news? Do you believe Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev is the fight to make?