Pereira reclaims title in 80-second TKO of Ankalaev

LAS VEGAS -- Alex Pereira said he wasn't himself in March, when he surrendered his UFC light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev in a five-round decision. Saturday's rematch indicated he wasn't lying.

Pereira (14-3) reclaimed the championship at UFC 320 in dominant fashion, finishing Ankalaev (21-2-1) via TKO in just 80 seconds.

It was a stunning reversal from what happened seven months ago, when Pereira appeared hesitant and timid in what was his first loss in that weight class. In Saturday's rematch, he practically ran out of his corner and put away Ankalaev while barely absorbing a strike.

"Vengeance is never a good thing, it's kind of a poison sometimes," Pereira said through an interpreter in his postfight Octagon interview. "I told everyone I was not in good condition last time. Everyone saw it tonight."

Before the rematch, Pereira's team told ESPN that he fought in March with a fractured tibia. He was also sick in the weeks before the event and was placed on antibiotics. He took some time away from the gym after the loss to Ankalaev, and it clearly paid off.

Pereira was the aggressor from the opening bell Saturday, immediately knocking down Ankalaev with a right hand to the chin and finishing the bout with elbows from top position.

It was the 12th knockout win of Pereira's relatively short MMA career. He was a two-weight champion during his professional kickboxing career that spanned from 2012 to 2021.