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The possibility of Magomed Ankalaev challenging reigning champion Alex Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight title seems unlikely anytime soon. Since 'Poatan' defended his 205-pound belt against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April, Ankalaev has been vocal about his desire for a title shot.
After Pereira's knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in June, the 32-year-old Russian once again threw down the gauntlet to challenge the champion, leading many to believe he would be next in line.
However, according to Ankalaev’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, the former title challenger has been scheduled to fight a different opponent. The UFC appears to have alternative plans for the Brazilian, leaving Ankalaev's title aspirations on hold.
During a recent interview with Sport 24 (via Championship Rounds), Magomedov stated that while Pereira remains a key target for Ankalaev, his client is eager to stay active and has a fight scheduled for later this year:
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"I think we should expect this fight somewhere in the beginning of 2025. This fight should definitely happen. I agree with you... Magomed Ankalaev should fight for nothing but the title. As far as I understand, the organization has slightly different plans for Alex Pereira. In order not to stagnate, we already have a date and a fight. There will be an announcement soon about when Magomed Ankalaev will fight. After that, I think we will certainly fight for the title."
Check out Rizvan Magomedov's comments below:
Ankalaev is coming off a knockout victory over Johnny Walker in January, following a previous bout against Walker that ended in a no-contest. Before this, Ankalaev fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 282 in December 2022, a fight that concluded in a draw.
Georges St-Pierre shares advice for Alex Pereira before moving to heavyweight
The MMA community is buzzing with speculation about Alex Pereira's future plans. Having already secured UFC titles at both light heavyweight and middleweight, 'Poatan' has the potential to become the promotion's first-ever three-division champion if he successfully transitions to heavyweight.
During a recent interview with Covers, UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre emphasized that before Pereira considers moving up a division, he needs to prove himself against a top-tier grappler or wrestler:
"I think Alex Pereira is the best striker the light heavyweight division has ever seen. It's just incredible. But the question is, how would he pair up against a guy who's more of a wrestler? A guy who's gonna try to bring the fight to the ground? He needs to answer that before trying to go up because, in the heavyweight division, you have Tom Aspinall. Jon Jones, these guys are very good wrestlers."
Check out Georges St-Pierre's comments below (0:55):
