In a spectacular reversal of fortune, Alex Pereira seized the UFC light heavyweight championship by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev a mere 1:20 into the first round of the UFC 320 main event on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Pereira avenged a decisive unanimous decision loss to Ankalaev from UFC 313 in March, a performance Pereira had attributed to being only at 40 percent. In a state of improved health and driven by revenge, Pereira (13-3-0) launched a relentless offensive, preventing Ankalaev (21-2-1) from ever establishing his rhythm.
Pereira’s victory reinvigorates the 205-pound division, taking the title from an incumbent who had offered little excitement for its future. The win, coupled with Jiri Prochazka’s own spectacular knockout on the same card, immediately awakens the possibility of a third title fight between Pereira and Prochazka.
In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (21-4-0) successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision win over Cory Sandhagen (18-6-0). Judges’ scores were 49-45, 49-45, and 49-46, reflecting Dvalishvili’s dominance over the final four rounds after he took complete control in the second. Dvalishvili nearly ended the fight in the fourth with a tight D’arce choke, but Sandhagen survived to the final bell.
Sandhagen initially found success in the first round, using strategic striking exchanges to gain an early edge. However, that proved to be his only significant window, as Dvalishvili dramatically shifted the momentum in the second round with a dominant 10-8 display where he nearly finished Sandhagen with ground-and-pound.
The main card opened with a light heavyweight clash between Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1) and Khalil Rountree Jr. (15-7-0). With a potential loss looming late in the third round, Prochazka unleashed a devastating combination that knocked Rountree unconscious with two minutes remaining.
Rountree had built an early lead, landing powerful combinations in the first round that visibly staggered Prochazka. However, the effort appeared to drain Rountree, creating the opening for Prochazka’s third-round fight-ending explosion.
In the card’s second bout, Youssef Zalal (18-5-1) made quick work of Josh Emmett (19-6), forcing the 40-year-old veteran to submit verbally to an armbar just 1:38 into the first round. The abrupt finish left the T-Mobile Arena crowd in a state of confusion.
The reason for the referee’s intervention was not immediately clear until a replay revealed the submission. The realization was met with disappointment from the pro-Emmett audience, which had earlier been chanting “USA.” The victory marks Zalal’s fifth consecutive win.
Kicking off the main card, Joe Pyfer (15-3-0) secured a second-round submission victory over Abus Magomedov (28-7-1) via rear-naked choke at the 1:44 mark. After being dominated in the first round, Pyfer dropped Magomedov with a combination to start the second, nearly finishing him with an arm triangle before locking in the fight-ending choke.
