Alex Pereira needed just 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 came seven months after he was on the end of a unanimous points loss to the Russian at UFC 313.
Pereira, 38, had clearly learned from his defeat in March, where he spent the fight on the back foot, and wasted no time by connecting with a huge right hook.
The Vegas crowd erupted as two-division champion Pereira stunned the 33-year-old with a clubbing right hand before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight after a number of heavy elbows to the head.
“Vengeance is never a good thing. I told everyone I wasn’t in a good position last time but no-one believed it, tonight you saw it,” Pereira said after his win.
“It didn’t surprise me, I saw it in the first fight. I don’t like to make excuses but I wasn’t well that night.”
Ankalaev was looking for his 13th win in a row but could only land two of his seven significant strikes, while 25 of Pereira’s 37 found their target.
Since his UFC debut in 2021, Pereira has quickly transformed into one of the promotion’s biggest stars, becoming a two-division champion in only seven fights – a record time.
Upon winning the middleweight title Pereira moved up to light-heavyweight and, after claiming gold, his three defences in 2024 led to him being named the UFC fighter of the year alongside Ilia Topuria.
Pereira faced his biggest test in fighting Ankalaev, with the Russian preventing the Brazilian from landing his huge strikes in their first fight – but that was not a problem the second time around, with Pereira thudding the side of his opponent’s head early on.
Ankalaev ended the Brazilian’s run of three title defences inside a year in the first encounter but the former champion now has a second defeat on his record – and first since March 2018.
Now locked at one win apiece, a trilogy fight could decide who takes the bragging rights forever.
