UFC - UFC #320
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by Stephen Abiola | in UFC Picks
Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1) and Alex Pereira (12-3-0) will battle for the UFC Light Heavyweight title on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ankalaev will look to produce another masterclass performance and retain his title after taking it away from Pereira at UFC #313 in March this year. The Russian fighter will know that many critics doubted his credibility as champion, a debate he'll be keen to put to rest on Saturday night.
Alex Pereira, meanwhile, will be keen to take his chance at redemption against Ankalaev. His supporters questioned the scoring of his decision loss to the Russian, and he'll want to reward their loyalty with a win. The Brazilian KO artist seemed nearly unstoppable before losing to Ankalaev, defending the title successfully on four occasions. He is on a mission to reclaim his lost glory.
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Magomed Ankalaev - Alex Pereira: Form Analysis
So, how are both fighters performing ahead of this do-or-die clash? Starting with Ankalaev, he was the former WFCA champion before joining the UFC. Sadly, he didn’t enjoy the best of starts after being submitted by Paul Craig in the third round. However, this motivated him to go on a nine-fight winning streak, earning him a title fight against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282, which he lost. He finally won the title at UFC 313 after defeating Alex Pereira.
Alex Pereira is a kickboxing superstar who has dominated the UFC since signing the contract in 2021. His first fight was against Andreas Michalidis, which he won via KO in round two through a flying kick. He then defeated Bruno Silva and Sean Strickland to earn a title fight against Israel Adesanya. Pereira won the title fight through a KO punch, although Adesanya reclaimed it with a KO win of his own. However, the Brazilian won it again in September 2023 after defeating Jiri Prochazka. Impressively, he defended the crown three times via KO wins.
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Magomed Ankalaev & Alex Pereira Squad Analysis
Born in June 1992, Magomed Ankalaev is a Russian MMA fighter who has been with the UFC since June 2018. Like many MMA fighters from Russia, the 33-year-old grew up in a heavy environment of combat sports. He began training at a young age, excelling in both wrestling and sambo. He is the previous champion of amateur combat sambo and MMA. Ankalaev turned professional in 2014 before joining the biggest MMA fighting stage four years later.
Alex “Poatan” Pereira comes into this fight as the older fighter. The Brazilian was born in July 1987 in São Bernardo do Campo. Similar to most Brazilian fighters, Pereira had a tough upbringing. Before finding his way to MMA, he worked as a bricklayer while working out at a local gym. That’s where Pereira developed his devastating striking power and kickboxing technique. Pereira joined the UFC in November and has since participated in seven title fights.
Magomed Ankalaev - Alex Pereira Key Points
- Magomed Ankalaev lost just once in his last 15 UFC fights.
- Magomed Ankalaev won via decision in his last two UFC fights.
- The fight went the distance in six of the last nine Ankalaev bouts.
- The total rounds went over 2.5 in three of the last five Ankalaev fights.
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Our Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira Prediction
Magomed Ankalaev is the -250 betting favorite, whereas Pereira is the +195 underdog. Pereira will be keen to quickly break free from Magomed's clinches and send a powerful shot to end this fight early. In their recent fight, he let the champion hold him for far too long, ultimately leading to his decision loss. However, the champion's exceptional discipline and ability to control the fight's tempo should give him an edge. Ankalaev will want to slow down the fight and prevent Pereira from getting clean shots. We see a decision win for Ankalaev.
Our prediction for Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira: Fight to go the distance.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira - Other Interesting Picks
Ankalaev to win via a unanimous decision.
We expect Ankalaev to repeat the exact blueprint from his previous title fight against Pereira. He will want to drain Pereira by pressing him against the cage and imposing his grappling earlier in the fight. That’s why we expect Ankalaev to win via a unanimous decision.
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