Magomed Ankalaev chases Alex Pereira to heavyweight for trilogy
Former UFC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev still wants a third fight with Alex Pereira and is willing to follow him to heavyweight to get it.
Ankalaev returns at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 against Uzbek power puncher Bogdan Guskov, his first bout since losing the 205-pound strap to Pereira by knockout last October. That finish came five months after Ankalaev won their first meeting. Pereira has since moved up to heavyweight and said their business is settled, but Ankalaev sees it differently.
Ankalaev calls Pereira knockout "an accident"
"I will be chasing that fight," Ankalaev told Red Corner MMA, per MMA Mania. "No matter if it takes place at Heavyweight or Light Heavyweight. We are 1-1. I won the first fight, and I think it's fair to say it was domination. I lost the second one, but it was just an accident."
The Russian contender framed his loss as a fluke tied to injuries that limited his camp before the rematch. Pereira knocked him out quickly enough to erase most memories of Ankalaev's earlier win. With Pereira now chasing heavyweight gold and nearing the end of his run, the trilogy may never happen.
Ankalaev has unfinished business at light heavyweight in the meantime. He has not faced current champion Carlos Ulberg, who lifted the belt at UFC 327 in April. A win over Guskov this weekend puts Ankalaev back in title position.
Photo: MMAnytt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Original reporting:
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