Alex Pereira’s UFC comeback date teased by next opponent, despite champion ‘not yet agreeing’ to next defense

Alex Pereira may be about to finally get a long-awaited break from the action after an intense year in the octagon.

The hard-hitting light heavyweight champion stepped in to save three separate pay-per-view events this year, meaning he was never out of camp for long. He first headlined UFC 300 on short notice against Jamahal Hill, before rematching Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 and finally Khalil Rountree Jr at UFC 307.

All of these fights ended in knockouts, with only the last one making it to the championship rounds. But he had to undergo three bouts over five rounds and suffered a number of injuries that have since required treatment.

Alex Pereira's next opponent names a date for a grudge match

It has been made clear that when Alex Pereira returns, he will almost certainly face Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title. The Russian defeated the only other top five contender Pereira has not yet met, Aleksandr Rakic, and is now a clear top contender.

But Ankalaev claims Pereira has not yet agreed to the fight, with a scheduled date close to the middle of next year. During a recent Q&A session translated by Championship Rounds on X, he said: “Pereira has not agreed to the fight yet.

“But sooner or later it will happen. I think the fight could take place in May.” This would mean a much-needed seven-month break for the champion, who fought three times in that span this year.

During another part of the question-and-answer session, Ankalaev said that if he had a choice between Jon Jones or Pereira for his next fight, he would prefer to face the latter. “The desserts are both very tasty,” he joked. “But Pereira is my division, so I would choose him.”

Magomed Ankalaev wants to beat Alex Pereira twice next year

The Russian has been chasing his Brazilian rival for almost a year after putting together an impressive winning streak that makes him the clear top contender at 205 pounds. And he has even promised to give Pereira a rematch for the title if he has a shot at gold.

It appears he initially had an earlier fight date scheduled this year, but may have to settle for May, which could hurt his plans. In a social media post earlier this week, he claimed the pair would meet in March, which would allow for a second fight in June.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

“I'm going to beat @AlexPereiraUFC in March,” Ankalaev wrote. “And I'll give him a rematch in July, and then I'll beat one of these bums like Jamahal Hill and Jiri in Abu Dhabi in October. @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite.”

UFC 313 is expected to take place in Las Vegas in March, but it may come too soon for the returning Pereira. Over the weekend, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili suggested he would headline the event against Petr Yan, who won his UFC Macau main event on Saturday.

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