Former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has spoken out regarding a possible rematch with Magomed Ankalaev, following their clash at UFC 313 earlier this year. The fight saw Pereira suffer his first setback in the light heavyweight division, losing his title to ankalaev after a prolonged period of pre-fight exchanges.

Despite a heated build-up to UFC 313, Pereira and Ankalaev displayed mutual respect immediately after the fight and verbally agreed to a rematch.Though, recent weeks have seen a shift in the narrative.

Alex Pereira addresses Magomed ankalaev Rematch Speculation

Ankalaev has stated that Pereira will not be his first title defense opponent, suggesting that the former champion is “retired” and delaying negotiations. This sentiment was fueled by a recent social media hack of Pereira’s account, where a since-deleted post criticized UFC management.

Amidst the post-UFC 313 turmoil, Pereira maintains his focus on returning to the Octagon.

In a recent interview with UFC Brazil, Pereira clarified his position on the potential rematch with Ankalaev.

“We’ll definitely be talking about my next fight soon,” Pereira said.

“I don’t have a specific date yet, but we already have an idea. I took this time off to rest, because I worked hard in 2024. I think my body got tired, I had some injuries, so I decided to take it easy, more on the recovery side, and now I’m coming back.

“To come back [the right way]: firm and strong, to go after my belt again.”

“To come back [the right way]: firm and strong, to go after my belt again.”

initially, a Pereira vs. Ankalaev rematch was considered for UFC 318 in Chicago, but the UFC ultimately announced Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev as the main event. The earliest the rematch could now occur is September at UFC 319.

Ankalaev’s last defeat was in his UFC debut against Paul Craig in March 2018. Before UFC 313, Pereira had an unblemished record in the light heavyweight division, transitioning from middleweight after a loss to Israel adesanya at UFC 287.

Israel Adesanya Weighs In On Pereira vs.Ankalaev

As rematch discussions continue, israel Adesanya believes Pereira has a strong chance of avenging his loss to Ankalaev. Adesanya highlighted Pereira’s rapid growth in MMA, especially after a close fight at UFC 313, making a rematch an intriguing prospect.

Pereira successfully defended against all of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts during their UFC 313 fight, which was unexpected given Ankalaev’s wrestling background. However, Ankalaev’s striking earned him a unanimous decision victory.

An announcement regarding the Pereira vs. Ankalaev rematch is anticipated in the coming weeks.