Pereira Stormed Back to the Throne With an Eighty-Second
Alex Pereira regained the UFC light heavyweight championship on October 4, 2025, stopping Magomed Ankalaev at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Their UFC 320 rematch ended by technical knockout at 1:20 of the opening round, reversing the outcome of their first championship meeting.
Forward pressure changed the terms immediately
Pereira closed the distance from the start and pushed Ankalaev backward. An overhand right connected near the temple, forcing the defending champion into a hurried attempt to change the position.
Ankalaev sought a takedown, but Pereira stopped the attempt and continued attacking. Punches and elbows followed until referee Herb Dean intervened, ending the contest before either fighter could settle into a longer tactical battle.
The rematch reversed March’s championship result
Ankalaev had taken the belt from Pereira by unanimous decision in March. This time, Pereira prevented the champion from establishing a comparable rhythm and reclaimed the title through an immediate finishing attack.
The result ended Ankalaev’s fourteen-fight unbeaten run. Pereira landed twenty-eight significant strikes from forty-five attempts, while Ankalaev connected with four of nine, underlining how quickly the challenger seized control.
The championship changed hands on a busy finishing night
Pereira became a two-time UFC light heavyweight champion with the victory. His ability to force an early exchange proved decisive in a rematch that lasted only eighty seconds.
Elsewhere on the main card, Jiří Procházka stopped Khalil Rountree Jr., Youssef Zalal submitted Josh Emmett and Joe Pyfer submitted Abus Magomedov. Pereira’s title recovery supplied the final finish of that sequence.
Sources
- UFC: official results and main-event finishing sequence
- Associated Press: first meeting, unbeaten run and striking totals
