Alex Pereira wanted only one minute and 22 seconds to reclaim the light-heavyweight world championship after stopping Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 in Las Vegas.
The Brazilian’s victory got here seven months after he was on the top of a unanimous points loss to the Russian at UFC 313.
Pereira, 38, had clearly realized from his defeat in March, the place he spent the battle on the again foot, and wasted no time by connecting with an enormous proper hook.
The Vegas crowd erupted as two-division champion Pereira surprised the 33-year-old with a clubbing proper hand earlier than referee Herb Dean stopped the battle after quite a few heavy elbows to the pinnacle.
“Vengeance is rarely a very good factor. I instructed everybody I wasn’t in a very good place final time however no-one believed it, tonight you noticed it,” Pereira stated after his win.
“It did not shock me, I noticed it within the first battle. I do not prefer to make excuses however I wasn’t effectively that evening.”
Ankalaev was in search of his thirteenth win in a row however may solely land two of his seven important strikes, whereas 25 of Pereira’s 37 discovered their goal.
Since his UFC debut in 2021, Pereira has shortly reworked into one of many promotion’s greatest stars, changing into a two-division champion in solely seven fights – a file time.
Upon profitable the middleweight title Pereira moved as much as light-heavyweight and, after claiming gold, his three defences in 2024 led to him being named the UFC fighter of the 12 months alongside Ilia Topuria.
Pereira confronted his greatest take a look at in combating Ankalaev, with the Russian stopping the Brazilian from touchdown his big strikes of their first battle – however that was not an issue the second time round, with Pereira thudding the facet of his opponent’s head early on.
Ankalaev ended the Brazilian’s run of three title defences inside a 12 months within the first encounter however the former champion now has a second defeat on his file – and first since March 2018.
Now locked at one win apiece, a trilogy battle may resolve who takes the bragging rights endlessly.
