Alex Pereira next fight delayed by weight-class dilemma, Magomed Ankalaev says

Magomed Ankalaev says Alex Pereira's uncertainty over whether to stay at heavyweight cost the Russian a trilogy fight, before the Brazilian was booked to face Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on 12 December.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Tue 20 Oct, 18:11 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Magomed Ankalaev says Alex Pereira spent time deciding whether to stay at heavyweight or return to light heavyweight, a delay that the former champion believes ruled out a third fight between the pair.

Pereira has since been booked to face Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on 12 December, the final numbered UFC event of the year. It will be his second fight at heavyweight, after he came up short on his first outing in the division at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in June.

Speaking in a recent interview, Ankalaev said he had been trying to secure the trilogy since beating Bogdan Guskov in July, and that he was ready to fight Pereira at heavyweight if necessary. He said: “I am doing a lot to get that fight, we even said that even if it’s in the heavyweight division, we can make it happen.” Ankalaev added that he had been left without a fight because the UFC could not find him an opponent, and said Pereira's indecision was part of the reason. He said: “[Paulo] Costa keeps finding excuses and Pereira was thinking about whether to stay at heavyweight or move down so he was pushed aside.” The two are level at one win each. Pereira stopped Ankalaev in 80 seconds in their rematch in October last year, a result the Russian described in the same interview as a lucky punch. He also suggested Pereira's camp had known he was carrying an injury, saying: “I think they knew I had some kind of injury.”