UFC 320: Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira Preview & Prediction
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Winner in the first contest, 205 pound kingpin, Magomed Ankalaev, looks to close a chapter at light heavyweight by ending his rivalry with the former champion, Alex Pereira.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira facts
What time are Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 320
What TV channel is UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 main card
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira (Light Heavyweight)
Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen (Bantamweight)
Jiri Prochazka vs Khalil Rountree Jr. (Light Heavyweight)
Josh Emmett vs Youssef Zalal (Featherweight)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Joe Pyfer (Middleweight)
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 prelims
Ateba Abega Gautier vs Treston Vines (Middleweight)
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Andre Muniz (Middleweight)
Chris Gutierrez vs Farid Basharat (Bantamweight)
Daniel Santos vs Yoo Joo-sang (Featherweight)
Macy Chiasson vs Yana Santos (Women’s Bantamweight)
Patchy Mix vs Jakub Wiklacz (Bantamweight)
Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay Veretennikov (Welterweight)
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Austin Vanderford (Welterweight)
Veronica Hardy vs Brogan Walker (Women’s Flyweight)
Magomed Ankalaev: Can the Russian champion put a definitive stamp on this rivalry?
Returning for his first title defense against the man he seized the belt off, Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1, 1 NC) looks to go 2-0 against Alex Pereira at UFC 320. The towering Russian has been perfect in his career outside of a bizarre last second submission loss to Paul Craig and a draw against former champion, Jan Blachowicz, scoring wins over the likes of Johnny Walker, Volkan Oezdemir, and Aleksander Rakic along the way. While he’s predominantly a striker, Ankalaev also has solid wrestling and a nasty clinch game to back up his credentials on the feet.
Alex Pereira: "Poatan" aims to reclaim his belt and resume his reign of terror at light heavyweight
Former middleweight and light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira (12-3) may have lost some of his terrifying aura of invincibility in the wake of his defeat to Ankalaev last time out, but that shouldn’t distract from “Poatan’s” body of work up to that point in time. Even without touching on his title reign at middleweight, as the light heavyweight champion, the stone-fisted Brazilian ran roughshod through the upper echelon of the division. Pereira would take out top contenders Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka (twice), and Khalil Rountree Jr in devastating fashion, eventually coughing up his belt to Ankalaev by close decision at UFC 313 last time out.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira prediction
There’s been some chatter around the fact that Pereira was unable to train adequately for the pair’s first encounter. “Poatan” looks locked in for the rematch and there’s some serious beef between him and Ankalaev; a recipe that has historically made for some of his best and most violent performances.
With that being said, the visuals associated with the first fight means it’s hard to escape the notion that the big Russian seemingly has Pereira’s number. Ankalaev’s win last time out was far from a complete domination, but he was just a step ahead of “Poatan” at all times, expertly timing the heavy handed Brazilian’s attacks with stiff straight shots to negate his power.
Pereira’s famed leg kicks also didn’t have their usual effect against Ankalaev last time out, removing a key weapon from his usual striking arsenal. He looked tentative and nervous about getting taken down, even prior to getting rocked badly on the feet. Furthermore, his more emotional demeanor in the build up to the rematch indicates that the newly-crowned champ might be in his head leading into this one.
Look for “Poatan” to come out all guns blazing in the hopes of righting last performance’s wrongs, but Ankalaev will remain a step ahead across five rounds. Pereira could well send him astral traveling with his patented left hook, but the pick is for "Big Ank" to eventually walk away with the decision and his first title defense.
Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev to win
