Can Alex Pereira reclaim the title he had lost to Magomed Ankalaev earlier this year? Or would Ankalaev close the door on their rivalry and continue to larger things as a light heavyweight champion?
Those were the questions that waited to be answered in the UFC 320 Main Event from Saturday. They were answered in a round.
From the opening bell, Pereira immediately responded to the champion and explained the pressure from the gate. He supports Ankalaev on the gate, he forced a Takedown from the Dagestani, who hurt Magomed with an upper hand right that had absolutely everything behind it. That Takedown failed and Pereira came on top and dropped 12-6 elbows. Anakaev covered himself, unable to do everything except the punishment. It was not long before that punishment became more than the ref, while the elbows looked hard and heavy.
It was all over in just a minute and twenty seconds. After which Pereira spoke Ankalaev for the first time, who had claimed that “Chama” was dead to death, the crowd then in the T-Mobile Arena in a “Chama” singing.
“I don’t like to apologize, but I said that I wasn’t good that night, and I feel very good tonight,” Pereira told Joe Rogan after the fight, in reference to the first loss for Ankalaev. He also trivialized the revenge aspect and said it was just not healthy to pursue such things.
Next for Pereira could be Carlos Ulberg, Jiri Prochazka or even Jon Jones. “Patan” noted that he had prepared a speech for the occasion, in reference to Jones, but instead called for a moment of silence for Arthur Jones, “Bones” brother, who died on Friday.
Official result: Alex Pereira Def. Magomed Ankalaev (C) by TKO, Round 1, 1:20
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