After such a dominant performance in the main event of UFC 320, it seems obvious in hindsight that Alex Pereira was in fact hindered when he lost his title earlier in the year.
Pereira avenged his previous UFC 313 unanimous decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev with a one-sided drubbing in the rematch to reclaim the organization’s light-heavyweight title.
The win was the fastest of Pereira’s mixed martial arts career. He rocked Ankalaev with an overhand right before raining down elbows on the ground until the referee stopped the bout via technical knockout after just 1:20.
Pereira, who has since acknowledged he fought through a hand injury at UFC 313, is now a two-time champion at 205 pounds and potentially on the verge of accomplishing the improbable.
“Poatan” is one of only 10 fighters in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes. He began his UFC career at middleweight and became the 185-pound champion in 2022 when he defeated longtime kickboxing rival Israel Adesanya. He then moved up in weight to conquer a new division.
No fighter in UFC history has won titles in three different weight classes; however, it’s now conceivable that Pereira will get the opportunity to try.
Prior to UFC 320, the 38-year-old Brazilian star was asked about his fighting future and whether he’d prefer to finish his career at light-heavyweight or at heavyweight. Pereira said, “I really don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. Obviously, my body gets heavier (as I age). I don't know how long I can cut to 205, so we're just going to have to see and take it fight by fight.”
Pereira has never missed weight, although he regularly gets above 240 pounds between fights. If he continues competing in the 205-pound division, his next matchup would likely be against Carlos Ulberg. The streaking New Zealander recently extended his winning streak to nine in a row with a first-round knockout of Dominick Reyes late last month.
On the other hand, Pereira could also make the move to heavyweight and wait for the winner of Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane, which headlines UFC 321 later this month.
Pereira was asked during UFC 320 fight week for his thoughts on the upcoming heavyweight title matchup. While Aspinall is currently a relatively significant betting favourite, Pereira said he believes it’ll be Aspinall’s most difficult matchup to date because of Gane’s patient style.
Regardless of who wins that matchup, Pereira would be a suitable opponent.
UFC president Dana White spoke highly of Pereira at the UFC 320 post-fight press conference and didn’t rule out the chances of him challenging for the heavyweight title.
Pereira sustained a foot injury on one of the hard early leg kicks he landed against Ankalaev, so it’s unclear how long that may keep him sidelined, but a hypothetical Aspinall vs. Pereira bout would be one of the biggest blockbuster matchups possible in the sport, while a Gane vs. Pereira fight would also be intriguing on many levels.
Here are some other potential future matchups worth considering in the wake of UFC 320:
If Pereira does look to challenge the winner of Aspinall vs. Gane, then the UFC could introduce an interim title at 205 pounds or force Pereira to vacate his belt.
In that case, a matchup between Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka would be a fitting pairing. Prochazka thrilled on the main card in a come-from-behind knockout win over Khalil Rountree Jr.
Prochazka is among the most popular and exciting fighters on the UFC roster, with his only losses in the UFC being against Pereira. He has won a performance bonus in all six of his UFC wins, and prior to beating Rountree, he finished former titleholder Jamahal Hill at the beginning of the year.
Magomed Ankalaev remains one of the best 205-pounders in the sport but will need to get back in the win column before thinking about fighting for the title again.
Returning in 2026 against either Jan Blachowicz or Bogdan Guskov would make sense. Blachowicz and Guskov are expected to meet later this year and the winner would be a great option for Ankalaev. He previously fought Blachowicz, a fellow former champ, to a draw almost three years ago, so there’s some unfinished business in their rivalry. If Guskov can extend his current winning streak, then he’d position himself to face another top-five contender. Blachowicz will turn 43 in February but is still ranked No. 5 in the division, while Guskov, 33, is No. 11 and has finished his past four opponents.
Also at 205 pounds, Rountree will need some time to recover after being stopped by Prochazka, as will Reyes, who had his three-fight streak snapped by Ulberg. Both former title challengers are always a threat to get a knockout or contend for a Fight of the Night bonus. They’re both big enough stars to earn a main card slot on a numbered event or headline a Fight Night card.
Merab Dvalishvili had another vintage performance in his title defence over Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event. The dominant bantamweight champion said after the victory that he is interested in facing Petr Yan next. Yan is a former two-time titleholder who has worked his way back into the title picture. Dvalishvili holds a five-round decision win over Yan in a 2023 non-title bout. Either that, or the UFC will wait for the result of UFC 321’s Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista, where the winner will have a strong case to get the next title shot.
Youssef Zalal made quick work of Josh Emmett and added another submission win to his record to cement himself as a featherweight to watch. Zalal called for a No. 1 contender’s bout with Lerone Murphy, but Murphy is currently the frontrunner to face Alexander Volkanovski for the title. Fighters ranked ahead of Zalal who’d be decent options include Arnold Allen, Aljamain Sterling or even Movsar Evloev. The organization could also potentially put Zalal against the winner of the Nov. 1 Fight Night main event between Steve Garcia and David Onama.
Joe Pyfer showed why he’s more than merely a knockout artist, submitting Abusupiyan Magomedov impressively. Pyfer deserves a ranked opponent his next time out, so match him up with Ikram Aliskerov if Aliskerov can get by Junyong Park at UFC 321.
Ateba Gautier picked up another first-round knockout at UFC 320 in the featured prelim. The 23-year-old rising star from Cameroon improved to 3-0 in the UFC by stopping short-notice opponent Treston Vines in under two minutes. Gautier was a massive betting favourite — he was also expected to make quick work of his original opponent, Ozzy Diaz — so he needs a step-up in competition. Someone like Andrey Pulyaev or even Cody Brundage would be a good challenge.
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