As UFC 320 draws near, the light heavyweight division braces for one of its most anticipated rematches on October 4 in Las Vegas. Magomed Ankalaev will defend his title against the very man he dethroned, Alex Pereira. Their first meeting at UFC 313 on March 8 saw Ankalaev dominate across five rounds to secure a unanimous decision, leaving Pereira with plenty to prove in the sequel.

With the rematch just over two months away, Pereira is expected to leave no stone unturned. Despite his devastating knockout power, many analysts continue to favor the Russian Sambo specialist. It’s no surprise then that Pereira has been working diligently on sharpening his ground game. But he may need to give more than his all, because if he loses this shot, will he even get the chance for a trilogy fight against Magomed Ankalaev?

Even before the next fight, Magomed Ankalaev’s future is in motion

Just a few hours ago, Championship Rounds took to X to reveal Magomed Ankalaev’s next move. Sharing a picture of the 33-year-old alongside Tom Aspinall, the caption read: “Magomed Ankalaev believes he has two more fights at 205 before moving up to heavyweight 👀.” The 21-1 himself confirmed he intends to compete twice more in the light heavyweight division before making the jump. With Jon Jones backing out of the Aspinall fight and leaving the division in limbo, Magomed Ankalaev’s potential move adds a new layer of intrigue.

“I’ve thought about [moving up]… I believe maybe two more fights and I think I’ll move up to heavyweight,” he said. Still, before he can chase bigger challenges, he must first deal with the 12-3 contender in front of him. But can he do that?

Some believe Alex Pereira could turn the tables on Magomed Ankalaev when the two meet again in October. Among them is fellow Brazilian mixed martial artist Caio Borralho, who is also gearing up for his own return. Borralho is set to headline UFC Fight Night 258 in Paris, France, on September 6. While preparing for his bout against Nassourdine Imavov, he spoke to reporter Helen Yee at the UFC Performance Institute, where he gave his take on Pereira’s chances in the rematch.

According to Borralho, Pereira wasn’t at full strength in their first meeting. He acknowledged Magomed Ankalaev’s sharp fight IQ and composure inside the Octagon but suggested that Pereira may hold an advantage this time. With lessons learned from their initial clash, Borralho believes Pereira enters the rematch with greater confidence in his ability to withstand Ankalaev’s wrestling-heavy approach.

“I think the fight will be mostly the same,” Borralho explained. “But I think Alex could pressure a little bit more because now Alex knows that he can defend the takedowns, because he defended a lot of takedowns in the first fight. I’m sorry. So I think right now he can take risks; he can take the risk to bring more pressure to Ankalaev to find that knockout and all that, and then I think the fight will be better for him after he does that.” Who will win the rematch? Fans will find out soon enough, but it seems that even before the dust settles, Magomed Ankalaev is already signaling his interest in another challenge.

Magomed Ankalaev ready to take on anyone, anytime

Magomed Ankalaev had nothing but praise for new middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who secured a dominant win over Dricus Du Plessis with his trademark mix of aggression and strategy. Chimaev has openly shared his ambition of becoming a three-division champion by conquering welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight. Meanwhile, Magomed Ankalaev has made it clear he is open to crossover bouts, extending a simple “welcome” to anyone ready to test themselves at 205 pounds. For now, though, his focus remains on his highly anticipated rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 320 on October 4th.

In a recent interview with Sport24ru, Magomed Ankalaev congratulated ‘Borz’ on his latest victory while addressing the possibility of a future clash between them. “Congratulations for Khamzat from me, he proved himself, he showed how powerful he is that he can dominate a strong fighter for five rounds. It’s not an easy task. He deserved this victory. I am still in the division, if someone wants to move up and test my weight class, I always say ‘welcome.’ If he moves up, he moves up – no problem,” Magomed Ankalaev said. His comments underline both respect for Chimaev and his own readiness to defend his ground at light heavyweight.

Now, with Chimaev overwhelming opponents through relentless pressure and unpredictability, and Ankalaev breaking them down with patience and precision, a future fight between the two would undoubtedly command attention. But before any talk of that, the immediate question lies in the Pereira vs Ankalaev rematch. If Alex Pereira continues refining his ground game, could he turn the tables on Magomed Ankalaev and reclaim his status as one of the UFC’s top stars? Or will Ankalaev solidify his dominance before setting his sights on a move up to heavyweight against Tom Aspinall? What do you think?