With UFC 320 now just over a week away, anticipation is high for the main event between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira’s rematch in Las Vegas. It will be Ankalaev’s first defence of his light-heavyweight title as he won the belt back in March against Pereira at UFC 313. This is undoubtedly a huge fight and perhaps a watershed moment in the light-heavyweight division, and this is probably Pereira’s last chance to reclaim his title. Pereira recently turned 3,8, so this is a pivotal moment in his UFC career.
The first fight saw Ankalaev completely nullify Pereira’s game in the first fight, as the Brazilian struggled to land anything of significance during the fight. Pereira is well-known for his sensational power, which has seen him KO/TKO four opponents in a row before his fight with Ankalaev; however, he was unable to hurt Ankalaev as he only landed 11 head strikes in the fight. Pereira did have success with his famous leg kicks, specifically the calf kick, which he landed 48 times during the fight. Still, he was unable to really exert himself on Ankalaev and ultimately lost a unanimous decision.
If Pereira is to win this fight, he will undoubtedly need to find Ankalaev’s head more often during this fight. He has unbelievable power and is capable of knocking any fighter in the roster out. He dealt with Ankalaev’s takedowns well, denying all 12 of the Russian’s takedown attempts. If he can bring that level of takedown defence into the rematch, he will undoubtedly have a great chance of winning.
Ankalaev was very impressive in the first fight and showed that his striking has improved massively to the point of outlanding someone in Pereira, who is considered a world-class kickboxer. For him, it would be hard to imagine him changing his strategy too much for the rematch. He initiated a clinch 19 times during the fight, and combined with his 12 takedown attempts, this undoubtedly wore on Pereira and ultimately helped him to win the fight.
