Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira went to war at UFC 313, with the Russian powerhouse walking away with Pereira’s light heavyweight crown after a hard-fought unanimous decision. Fast-forward a year, and the stage is set for round two. On October 4, the two will lock horns once again at UFC 320 inside the electric T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This time, ‘Poatan’ is on a mission of revenge, determined to reclaim the 205-pound throne he lost.

But here’s the twist—Ankalaev doesn’t seem too worried about Pereira’s redemption arc. In fact, the newly crowned champ has his eyes locked on something much bigger. Forget title defenses for a moment—Ankalaev is already plotting a move up in weight, hunting for glory beyond light heavyweight. Speaking with Ushatayka, he made it clear: his future isn’t just about keeping the belt, it’s about chasing an even grander prize, and Tom Aspinall currently blocks his path.

“I think the rematch will be a lot easier than the first fight,” the 33-year-old told the reporter. He pointed at the statistics, claiming opponents seeking revenge against him haven’t worked out for them. “I think we will confirm the same thing—that you shouldn’t go out with me for revenge. I will do whatever it takes to dominate. I don’t think we will have any problems.” Turning his attention to the future, he shared his plan for the path ahead.

“A heavyweight? These thoughts keep coming to me,” he said during the interview. “I think a couple or three more fights.. I think, two fights, and then I will think of moving to the heavy division.” Tom Aspinall now stands tall as the undisputed king of the heavyweight division—a title he claimed after the long-hyped showdown with Jon Jones evaporated when ‘Bones’ shocked the world by announcing his retirement earlier this year.

Aspinall is currently slated to face Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight title fight at UFC 321 on October 25, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Given the lack of big names in the heavyweight division besides Aspinall, this potential matchup can be a blockbuster in the making. However, Magomed Ankalaev’s ambitious plans throw a wrench into things—meaning the much-discussed heavyweight clash between Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira could vanish before it ever becomes reality.

And it appears Ankalaev wants to do exactly that as he vowed to end the rivalry with Alex Pereira.

Magomed Ankalaev doesn’t want to hear talks like last time from Alex Pereira

For Ankalaev, UFC 320 is about finality. Ahead of their fight, the Russian has sent a clear message to Alex Pereira—no excuses. He insists he wants his Brazilian rival to enter the Octagon fully prepared so the result cannot be questioned. “I actually want him [Pereira] to come into this fight 100% so there are no questions about the outcome,” Ankalaev told Sport24ru. 

“I don’t want to hear talk like last time about him not being ready or something not being done,” he added. Ankalaev further explained that his goal is to end their rivalry without leaving room for speculation. “I want him to be in great shape so that after our fight, he has no excuses,” the champion said.

Only time will tell if Magomed Ankalaev can hand ‘Poatan’ another bitter defeat. But if he does, the ripple effects could be massive. Tom Aspinall might have to kiss that dream fight with Alex Pereira goodbye, because Ankalaev has his sights set on moving up to heavyweight—setting the stage for a potential champion vs. champion showdown instead. Do you agree?