In a result few saw coming, Magomed Ankalaev suffered a brutal first-round knockout loss to Alex Pereira in their much-anticipated light heavyweight title rematch at UFC 320.
Amid the setback, however, the former champion seems to be keeping a positive outlook. In a statement following the loss, the Russian wrote:
“If Allah tested me with defeat, then He wants to toughen me. I bow to His will, but not to difficulties. To those who stayed, thank you. To those who turned out, thank you too. After all, Allah clears the way not only of weakness, but also of unnecessary people.” [Translated from Russian to English via Instagram]
Check out Magomed Ankalaev’s statement below:
In their first meeting at UFC 313, Ankalaev employed efficient clinch work to prevent his opponent from establishing a rhythm on the feet. The ever-present threat of being taken down made Pereira gun-shy, preventing him from mounting a meaningful offense, resulting in him dropping a unanimous decision.
In the rematch, however, ‘Poatan’ pushed the pace from the start, something he had promised in interviews leading up to UFC 320.
After connecting a debilitating right hand that left Ankalaev rocked and scrambling for a take down, the Brazilian ended up on top and unleashed a barrage of elbows, forcing the referee to call the fight at 1:20 minutes of the first round.
The defeat marked Ankalaev’s only loss since his UFC debut in 2018.
UFC 320 seems to have greatly elevated Alex Pereira’s star power. ‘Poatan’ is now a three-time champion in the organization and, in all probability, has regained his status as one of the most popular stars in the sport.
When Dana White was asked, during the post-fight presser, whether the light heavyweight kingpin could be the face of the promotion following the notable win at UFC 320, he said:
“Yeah! You know, people love him. People live the way he fights and can’t be bumped out with the way he performed this evening.” [0:13 second into the interview]
Pereira is now 13-3 in MMA, with wins against the likes of Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Jan Blachowicz, among others.
