Will 2025 be the year Magomed Ankalaev gets his much-campaigned-for shot against Alex Pereira? After the champion dismantled Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, he was asked what’s next for him. Looming like a specter on the horizon was the no. 1 ranked Ankalaev. Yet, Pereira stated, “The organization doesn’t want to make the fight. But now because they keep saying that, keep disrespecting, maybe I’ll make it a little bit even harder for them to fight (me).”
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His remarks were a reference to the constant jabs being thrown his way from Ankalaev and his camp. The Russian fighter, who has put away 2 elite opponents in his last fights, has made no secret of his desire to take on Pereira. And now, it looks like, despite Pereira’s issues with the contender, the UFC may be working to set up the clash between them in 2025!
According to a recent post on X by MMA reporter Rueben Carter, “Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev targeted for #UFC315 in May 2025 (Source: @aliabdelaziz00)” The update comes at an interesting time as Ankalaev had recently made a bold confession to TASS. What was it?
The Russian contender accused ‘Poatan’ of being the roadblock when it comes to matchmaking as he stated, “Pereira has not yet agreed to the fight. But sooner or later, it will happen. I think the fight can take place in May.”
The UFC’s decision to pass him over in favor of Khalil Rountree didn’t sit well with the former title contender. But the path to a fight with Pereira now seems clearer than ever. However, with ‘Poatan’ having previously indicated, “Ideally, I would fight around June, it would be ideal, but maybe I’d like to fight around March even”, it remains to be seen if the date in May will be accepted by the Brazilian.
And as the UFC continues to push him to headline pay-per-views and defend his belt, it’s clear that Pereira’s journey won’t be slowing down anytime soon. In 2024 alone, ‘Poatan’ defended his title 3-times and has looked virtually unstoppable. But even as Ankalaev possibly gets closer to his wish of getting a title shot, he’s also taken aim at Jon Jones with a cheeky jab!
Ankalaev puts “desserts” Jon Jones and Alex Pereira on alert with a sharp comment
Tensions between Magomed Ankalaev and Jones have been simmering for a while. It all began when rumors of a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight started circulating. Ankalaev accused Jones of avoiding tougher matchups, picking easier targets instead. The war of words heated up quickly.
Jones, never one to back down from a verbal brawl, fired back on social media by stating, “Magomed jealousy won’t earn you legend status, my friend. Train harder, hate less. Want to truly insult me? Break some of my records first. Let’s get started.”
Now, in a recent press conference for the 2024 MMA World Championships in Russia, Ankalaev was asked who he would like to take on first, ‘Bones’ or ‘Poatan’. With a mischievous smile, the Russian fighter stated, “The desserts are both very tasty [smiles]. But Pereira is in my division, so I would choose him. I think I have done everything to deserve the next title shot. I’d like to talk to Alex and I’d like to tell him, ‘Hey, stop running away from me.’ We should fight.”
The road to this showdown might still have some twists and turns as there isn’t an official announcement of their UFC 315 clash yet. With Ankalaev continuing to push for the fight and Pereira standing his ground, the tension in the light-heavyweight division is palpable. But the question remains, will the contender’s persistence pay off, or will Alex Pereira find himself in another matchup in 2025? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
