The former light heavyweight champion has reclaimed his throne! Alex Pereira needed less than 90 seconds to defeat Magomed Ankalaev and claim the belt he lost in March.Alex Pereira, on the right, knocked out Magomed Ankalaev in 80 seconds to regain the light heavyweight championship at UFC 320.
“Revenge is never good,” Pereira declared after the main event of UFC 320, with the light heavyweight belt back around his waist. “Sometimes it’s like a poison.” Ankalaev might agree, after being quickly dethroned by Pereira in a rematch of their March fight.
The fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and undoubtedly, many viewers from home, witnessed an impressive spectacle. It was exciting, impactful, and wildly impressive, a moment that will last in everyone’s memory.
Pereira had already secured a place as a rising star and legend. This devastating victory in 80 seconds added a new milestone to his legacy. How many more memorable moments can he offer the fans?
At 38 years old, Pereira has no time to waste, and he made that clear from the start of the fight. He launched an attack, connecting a powerful blow that staggered Ankalaev. Although he missed the first attempt, he remained on the offensive, connecting a right hand that weakened Ankalaev, who attempted a desperate takedown. Pereira defended it, got on top, and unleashed more than two dozen punches and elbows until the referee intervened.
The shocking ending left Jiří Procházka, another former champion, impressed, who was on the verge of tears. Carlos Ulberg, a prominent contender at 205 pounds, also paid tribute to Pereira. The light heavyweight elite couldn’t help but admire the champion of their division.
In his post-fight interview, Pereira requested a moment of silence in memory of Arthur Jones’ family, who passed away this week. Jones was the older brother of Jon Jones, considered one of the best light heavyweight fighters in MMA history. This gesture highlights Pereira’s greatness, who, in his moment of triumph, took time to offer comfort to a legend of the sport.
Before leaving the cage, Pereira wanted to make it clear that the fighter who lost to Ankalaev seven months ago was not in his best shape. “I told everyone that I wasn’t in good condition last time; nobody believed it,” Pereira stated. “They saw it.”
Wow, did we see it! And it was chilling.
Dvalishvili: The Best Pound-for-Pound?
Merab Dvalishvili once again proved why he is nicknamed “The Machine”. He secured his third bantamweight title defense by unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili achieved 20 takedowns and seemed unfazed at the end of the five rounds.
Is it possible that Dvalishvili is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now?
Makhachev will not be happy with this, and will have the opportunity to change the narrative next month when he moves up in weight to fight welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, but right now, there are two candidates for the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world: Ilia Topuria and Dvalishvili.
Topuria, the lightweight champion, remains number one for me due to his ability to finish his opponents, but it’s hard to remember something like what Dvalishvili is doing. A few stats from his fight against Sandhagen: 20 of 37 takedown attempts, 385 strikes attempted, and the first UFC fighter with 100 takedowns in his career (117 total).
Sandhagen was ready for this opportunity. He trusted his game plan and his ability to execute it, and Dvalishvili took him out of the arena, smiling as he did it. In his fourth title fight in 13 months. All the hype in the world isn’t enough to describe this. It seems like he’s gaining momentum. He hasn’t felt stressed in any of these title fights. It’s incredible.
Makhachev is a generational fighter and is possibly close to surpassing the legacy of his mentor and retired teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov. And here I am, stating that there are two better fighters than him in the world. The sport of MMA is seeing three historical talents in Topuria, Dvalishvili, and Makhachev. Dvalishvili is officially behind Topuria for me at the moment, but not by much.
Procházka: He Can Still Be Champion
There are still questions about Procházka! Yes, he has lost twice to Pereira, and when a fighter loses two title fights against the same opponent, it can lead to a long road back to a championship fight and, frankly, a loss of faith on the part of the fans. It didn’t help that Procházka lost those two title fights against Pereira in a span of seven months.
But here’s what can be easy to forget: The first time Procházka lost to Pereira, he was returning from a 17-month absence and a serious shoulder injury. The second time they fought, they agreed to step up and headline UFC 303 on short notice after Conor McGregor withdrew with a toe injury. I’m not saying any of this to take away from Pereira, but both losses presented less-than-ideal circumstances for Procházka. Those are also his only two losses in the last 10 years.
Obviously, Procházka can’t claim he’s the best light heavyweight in the world because he’s lost twice to Pereira and has never fought Ankalaev. But that could literally be the case. And he could still prove it.
