Athletes
Alex Pereira Appreciates Each Part Of The Journey
Former Champion Alex Pereira Believes He Put In All The Right Work To Best Magomed Ankalaev In Their Championship Rematch At UFC 320
For all of Alex Pereira’s accolades and accomplishments, perhaps his most underrated attribute is his ability to bounce back. That goes for small moments within a fight as well as rebounding from a loss. In both circumstances, “Poatan” demonstrates great resolve, the ability to take the right lessons from the experience, and a determination to come back even stronger.
That’s why he was able to come back against Israel Adesanya in their first title fight at UFC 281 and secure a 5th-round finish. It’s why he was able to move up to light heavyweight after Adesanya knocked him out and go on a 5-fight winning streak that included capturing the 205-pound title and defending it thrice. And that’s why, in his fight with Khalil Rountree Jr., he was able to recover from getting rocked in the second round to finish Rountree Jr. in the fourth frame. And that doesn’t even account for the ways Pereira turned his life around before ever entering the Octagon. It’s just part of his DNA.
How To Watch And Stream UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2
“It’s part of the journey,” Pereira told UFC.com. “It inspires people, motivates people and shows that in life, sometimes, there is ups and downs, but it’s about turning it around and going back up.”
Alex Pereira | A Different Kind Of Power
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Alex Pereira | A Different Kind Of Power
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As Pereira heads into UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2, looking to wrest the belt from Magomed Ankalaev, the same man who took it from him just seven months ago, he is oozing determination despite Ankalaev getting the better of him over 25 minutes at UFC 313.
UFC 320 FULL FIGHTS: Ankalaev vs Pereira 1 | Pereira vs Hill | Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 | Sandhagen vs Figueiredo
Pereira is of the complete belief that he had his worst day against Ankalaev. After processing the bout, Pereira went back into the lab and put together a “much better” camp than the last one, which included various stops around the world. This time, he felt “more focused” and believes that work will show itself when they make the walk in T-Mobile Arena.
“I compared how I was then to how I am now and doing that brings me more confidence,” he said. “Before, I was already able to make a such close fight, so that makes me feel good.”
Since Ankalaev bested Pereira, animosity has been bubbling over both online and in various vlogs Pereira posted on his YouTube channel. Perhaps part of that is just the tension that comes with having the same guy on your mind for nearly a year, but it also just seems like Pereira doesn’t exactly enjoy the way Ankalaev goes about his business.
Of course, that’s the wonderful thing about the fight game: the guys can settle any beef soon enough. This tie with Ankalaev differs a bit from his saga with Adesanya, who he faced four times across two sports over the course of nearly 10 years. He and the former middleweight champ buried the hatchet since their last fight, so that could always happen for him and Ankalaev, but that’s business to consider after October 4. Right now, Pereira is locked in on becoming the first man in seven years to beat Ankalaev, and that’s what is driving him the most.
UFC 320 Full Fight Card Preview
“It’s not even the rivalry that motivates me,” Pereira said. “That keeps me going, but I think it’s just the confidence of everything going on, everything I put for this fight, but I definitely can call this a rivalry different than the other ones.”
High stakes and frustrations with his opponent aside, Pereira is going to go about his business the only way he knows how: with focus, with fire, and with intensity. Pereira is a sharp-shooting knockout artist who has captured the fanbase’s hearts and attention with a real quickness by just being himself.
When he makes the second-to-last walk in Las Vegas, he plans on doing exactly that.
“I don’t let emotions take over,” he said. “I’ve done this before, did fights like this before. I just focus on everything that I’ve changed, and that’s it.”
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 4, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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