Alex Pereira Faces Dual Challenges in UFC 320 Title Rematch

While defeating an opponent in an MMA cage is no small feat, Alex Pereira must navigate two significant hurdles in his quest to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight championship this Saturday at UFC 320 (ESPN PPV, 10 p.m. ET).

Pereira’s primary concern is champion Magomed Ankalaev, who defeated Pereira in March. Additionally, Pereira must contend with the UFC’s historical trends regarding past champions seeking immediate rematches.

The upcoming Ankalaev-Pereira rematch will be the first for both fighters since the title change, and history shows that dethroned champions struggle in immediate rematches. Out of 16 such occurrences in the UFC’s modern era (starting in November 2000), only four former champions have managed to regain their titles.

Pereira is likely aware of this daunting statistic, as he was part of one of the rare successful rematches. However, he may wish to forget his last encounter, where he was on the losing side of recent champion success.

Five months after taking the middleweight title from Israel Adesanya in November 2022, Pereira entered UFC 287 confident, having previously beaten Adesanya in kickboxing. Despite this, Adesanya emerged victorious in their rematch, reclaiming the title and reinforcing his status.

This weekend, Pereira aims to showcase what he’s learned since his first fight with Ankalaev. While experts thought he would struggle against Ankalaev’s wrestling, Pereira successfully defended all takedown attempts. However, despite initial expectations, Ankalaev proved stronger in striking exchanges and earned a unanimous decision victory.

As the rematch approaches, both fighters face uncertain outcomes. Ankalaev believes the rematch will be easier, suggesting Pereira is “too old to make substantial changes.” With the stakes so high, Pereira not only fights for the title but also for his fighting reputation against history’s tough odds.