Alex Pereira recently made a comment that has fans wondering who he will fight after Magomed Ankalaev. That’s because the former champion has dismissed speculation that a trilogy fight against the Dagestan native could take place if he reclaims the title. “I think the story will be over,” ‘Poatan’ recently said. However, UFC legend and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping doesn’t believe what Pereira’s trying to sell.
The Brazilian ace is looking to turn over a new leaf or start a new chapter after his UFC 320 title fight. There are quite a few contenders vying for the title shot, including Jiri Prochazka, who has already lost twice to Alex Pereira. But when it comes to Magomed Ankalaev, he already has a win over ‘Poatan’, so, according to Michael Bisping, Pereira’s rivalry with Ankalaev is far from over.
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Michael Bisping claims the chances of Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev 3 are high
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping dismissed Alex Pereira’s claim about not fighting Magomed Ankalaev a third time. ‘The Count’ said, “We know Pereira says that if he beats him, we ain’t going to see a third match. More than likely, if Pereira wins, we will see a third match.” If you’re wondering why, well, the answer lies in the way that the UFC does business.
Some fans would argue that Magomed Ankalaev may not get a third match if he drops the belt. There are discussions about Dominick Reyes possibly getting a title shot if he wins his fight against Carlos Ulberg. But on the other hand, Jiri Prochazka is also a possible contender, since he’s ranked #2 in the division. However, Bisping claims that none of these fighters are going to make the cut because the UFC is more about audience interest and the commercial value of PPV events. That’s because the Croatian star is already down 0-2, so selling a third fight may prove to be tough for the UFC.
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“But if Pereira wins, nobody wants to see Jiri Prochazka, just yet, fighting Alex Pereira,” Michael Bisping added. “Don’t get me wrong. As a fan, I’d love to see it. I’m talking about the way things work, the appetite for the sport, and, of course, the nature of the business with it being a PPV scenario.”
Well, if Alex Pereira really wants to avoid a trilogy bout against Magomed Ankalaev, he needs to earn a decisive knockout win, which he’s shown to be very capable of. And guess what? His mentor claims that the version of Pereira that fans will witness at UFC 320 will be more ruthless than ever before.
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Pereira’s mentor warns Ankalaev about the dangers in the first round
Although Alex Pereira has more knockouts than decision wins, he’s only been able to register 1st-round finishes on two occasions in the UFC. However, Glover Teixeira claims that ‘Poatan’ is training to go all guns blazing in the first round of his rematch against Magomed Ankalaev. That’s because Pereira’s game plan now focuses on increasing and maintaining the pressure on the reigning champion from the get-go.
“The first round will be brutal. It’s not that he will come angry, but he will come with the same aggressive attitude,” Alex Pereira’s mentor stated on the Overdogs Brasil podcast with host Renato Moicano. “This fight will be much more dynamic. ‘Poatan’ will be pressing the entire time.” We’ll have to wait and see if the former champion can do what he’s planning to do after an underwhelming outing in his first encounter against Magomed Ankalaev.
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The light heavyweight division is in an exciting position now, with many possible contenders emerging for the coveted UFC gold. But do you think any one of them will be able to jump ahead of Magomed Ankalaev if Alex Pereira wins at UFC 320? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.