Alex Pereira has been garnering quite a bit of attention through his recent travels. But his future in the Octagon still looms in the shadows. Nevertheless, a matchup against Magomed Ankalaev has never escaped the talks in the fighting community. After all, it was only logical to believe that Ankalaev was next for Pereira after the LHW champ demolished Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307. But the Brazilian has taken up Jon Jones’ challenge for a fight. No doubt, there are matchups that Pereira has to take care of before facing the heavyweight champ.

Today, let’s take a dive and see who stands in Pereira’s way to becoming a triple champion. After all, this might point to his upcoming title defense. 

Magomed Ankalaev is next for the Light Heavyweight title shot

Fighting Ankalaev seems like the only way forward for the man with the hands of stone. Being the #1 contender in the light heavyweight division, he is the logical opponent for the light heavyweight champion. However, the ‘Poatan’ hasn’t said yes to the fight yet. The Russian fighter has been asking for a fight with Pereira for a long time now. Frustrated with being sidelined, he kept on lashing out at the Brazilian on the internet. But Pereira had had enough. He said, “The organization doesn’t want to make the fight. But now because they keep saying that, keep disrespecting, maybe I’ll make it a little bit even harder for them to fight (me).”

Nevertheless, the fight is reportedly being planned to go down at UFC 315 in May 2025. Of course, Pereira stands as the greatest roadblock to the matchup, but Ankalaev hopes he’d eventually come around. The #1 LHW contender claimed, “Pereira has not yet agreed to the fight. But, sooner or later, it will happen. I think the fight can take place in May.” 

This timeframe was also confirmed by Alex Pereira. During his appearance on Ariel Helwani’s talk show right after UFC 307, Pereira, through a translator, revealed the ideal timeline for his return. He said, “Ideally, he would fight around June, it would be ideal, but he would maybe like to fight around March, even, but honestly, say, if it were up to him, he’ll fight in December right now.” 

But Ankalaev wasn’t the only prospect waiting to take on Pereira. His former opponents, Jiri Prochazka and Jamahall Hill have also been eyeing for a rematch with the light heavyweight champ.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill could decide Pereira’s next opponent

Prochazka and Hill are all set to lock horns at UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome, Los Angeles. The battle between the former light heavyweight champions is scheduled for the 18th of January. But it’s not just a match that the LHW fighters are looking forward to. Being ranked #2 and #3, ‘Denisa’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ would be fighting to decide who would go on for the next title shot. 

Pereira defended the LHW championship belt against Hill back at UFC 300 and won with a first-round KO. Needless to say, Hill has been itching for a chance to avenge himself ever since. On the other hand, the Czech fighter faced two defeats at the hands of the Brazilian champ. And both came with a KO in the second round. The winner of the UFC 311 bout going up against the champion would indeed be the natural order for the division, right?

But first, Pereira needs to prove himself against Ankalaev’s grappling skills. But in case he fails to secure a win over the Russian light heavyweight, would he still fight the winner of Prochazka vs. Hill? Well, that’s the food for thought we need to have right now. If Pereira keeps up the level of activity from the last calendar year, he could get in both of these fights while Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall figure thing out at heavyweight.

The Jones vs. Aspinall fight also seems to be on the right tracks as both stars have confirmed negotiations are happening with the UFC. The mood around this fight is optimistic, considering it was Dana White’s one condition for Jon Jones to get his hands on Alex Pereira. So it seems that both champions will have to beat at least one of their next rightful divisional contenders before they can get their hands on each other. 

What do you think of the matchup between Ankalaev and Pereira? Who are you supporting if the two happen to clash at UFC 315? What are your thoughts on Jones vs. Pereira? Let us know in the comments down below