Overview

• Magomed Ankalaev defeated Alex Pereira at UFC 313 to claim the Light Heavyweight title and has since called for a rematch, which remains unconfirmed.
• Pereira declined a short-notice rematch offer for UFC 317, later stating his social media post criticizing the UFC was the result of a hack.
• Ankalaev has issued public challenges to Pereira and other division contenders, with Jan Błachowicz and Jailton Almeida expressing interest in fighting him.
• Jiri Prochazka turned down a short-notice title fight against Ankalaev, citing academic commitments, while speculation grows over a potential October bout in Abu Dhabi.
• Veteran fighters and commentators have weighed in on Pereira’s situation, warning of potential career risks tied to defying UFC’s promotional leverage.