LAS VEGAS: Brazilian Alex Pereira scored a stunning first-round knockout win over Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 320 on Saturday night, with Merab Dvalishvili retaining his bantamweight crown in the co-main event.
The 38-year-old Pereira, who lost the title to Ankalaev by unanimous decision in March, wasted no time in chasing down his Russian opponent when the two met in their rematch at the T-Mobile Arena, rushing forward from the opening bell.
Pereira hurt his opponent with a thunderous right hand and as Ankalaev attempted to grapple, the Brazilian followed him to the ground, raining down strikes to the head and body that forced referee Herb Dean to intervene and stop the fight after one minute and 20 seconds of the first round.
“Vengeance is never a good thing. It’s kind of a poison. I told everyone I was not in a good condition last time, nobody believed it,” Pereira said in a post-fight interview. “I don’t like to make excuses, but I’ve been saying I wasn’t well that night (of the first fight), but tonight I’m very well.”
The Brazilian paid tribute to former NFL linebacker Arthur Jones, brother of former UFC champion Jon Jones, who died on Friday, observing a moment of silence before leaving the cage.
In the co-main event, Bracklyrgia’s Dvalishvili leveraged a relentless wrestling attack to outclass Sandhagen en route to a unanimous decision victory over the American as he secured his third successful title defence since winning the title for the first time in September 2024.
The most anticipated action of the main card began with a light heavyweight war between Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr. With a loss likely in the balance late in the third, Prochazka landed a devastating combination that knocked Rountree out cold with two minutes left on the clock.
Rountree gained an early advantage by landing multiple series of high-calibre combinations in the first round that left Prochazka clearly stumbling into the second. The exchanges also tired Rountree, allowing Prochazka a chance to find a window with his third-round explosion.
Youssef Zoulal (18-5-1) made quick work of Josh Emmett (19-6) in the main card’s second fight, forcing the 40-year-old to verbally tap via arm bar 1:38 into the bout in a moment that left the T-Mobile Arena crowd stumped.
It wasn’t immediately apparent why the featherweight fighters were being separated until the replay was shown. The realisation of what occurred was met with dismay from a pro-Emmett crowd that moments earlier was engaging in “USA” chants. The finish marked Zalal’s fifth straight victory.
Joe Pyfer opened the main card with a second-round submission victory over Abus Magomedov, securing a successful rear-naked choke at 1:44 in the second round. Magomedov dominated the first, but Pyfer dropped Magomedov with a combo to begin the second and nearly made him tap with an arm triangle before locking in the finisher.
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