Brazil’s Alex Pereira reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight title with a stunning first-round knockout of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The 38-year-old had lost the belt to Ankalaev by unanimous decision in March, but wasted no time in exacting revenge at the T-Mobile Arena. From the opening bell Pereira pressed forward, landing a thunderous right hand that rocked his Russian opponent. As Ankalaev attempted to grapple, the Brazilian followed him to the mat and unleashed a flurry of strikes to the head and body. Referee Herb Dean stepped in to halt the contest after just one minute and 20 seconds.
“Vengeance is never a good thing. It is kind of a poison,” Pereira said afterwards. “I told everyone I was not in good condition last time, nobody believed it. I don’t like to make excuses, but I have been saying I was not well that night. Tonight I was very well.”
Before leaving the cage, Pereira paid tribute to Arthur Jones, the former NFL linebacker and brother of ex-UFC champion Jon Jones, who died on Friday. He asked the crowd for a moment of silence in Jones’s memory.
In the co-main event, Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili retained his bantamweight crown with a dominant unanimous decision victory over American Cory Sandhagen. Using his trademark wrestling pressure, Dvalishvili secured his third successful defence since first winning the title in September 2024.
