LAS VEGAS — Fan favourite Alex Pereira dethroned Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, taking the sunshine heavyweight championship with a first-round stoppage Saturday night time.
Pereira (13-3-0) floored Ankalaev (21-2-1) after hurting him with an enormous proper hand and rapidly went to work utilizing thunderous elbows throughout a ground-and-pound earlier than referee Herb Dean stepped in to cease the bout on the 1:20 mark.
Pereira introduced an finish to Ankalaev’s 14-match unbeaten streak, whereas exacting revenge for a loss within the fighters’ first assembly in March.
“I wasn’t nicely that night time, however tonight I used to be very nicely,” Pereira mentioned by way of his translator.
Pereira misplaced to Ankalaev by unanimous resolution on March 8, when the judges graded the combat on aggressiveness. This time, Pereira wasted no time in attacking Ankalaev with relentless strain.
The 38-year-old Brazilian landed 28 of the 45 important strike makes an attempt, whereas Ankalaev, 33, was solely capable of land 4 of his 9 makes an attempt.
Pereira closed +200 at BetMGM Sportsbook, which suggests a $100 wager would have gained $200. A Pereira by KO or TKO in below 2.5 rounds was +475.
Whereas Pereira entered the sector with the sold-out crowd standing and roaring in approval, Ankalaev was greeted by a refrain of boos.
The 19,081 in attendance, which included Golden State Warriors stars Draymond Inexperienced and Jimmy Butler and Los Angeles Rams huge receiver Puka Nacua, went right into a frenzy the second Dean stepped in to cease the combat.
Earlier within the night time, in what some might need thought of a title eliminator bout within the gentle heavyweight division for the suitable to face Pereira, second-ranked contender Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1) delivered a brutal left hand on the 3:04 mark of the third spherical to knock out No. 4 Khalil Rountree Jr. (15-7-0) in what earned the combat of the night time.
Pereira had crushed Prochazka twice already, second-round knockouts at UFC 295 and 303.
After his victory, Pereira used his highlight throughout the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan to name for a second of silence in honor of Jon Jones’ older brother, Arthur, who died unexpectedly earlier this week.
“He was such a fantastic man,” UFC president Dana White mentioned. “When any individual passes away so younger of their sleep, it’s brutal. The conversations I’ve had with Jon, he’s dealing with it nicely.”
Within the co-main occasion, champion Merab Dvalishvili (21-4-0) efficiently defended his bantamweight title with a unanimous resolution (49-45, 49-45, 49-46) over Cory Sandhagen (18-6-0). Dvalishvili, who strengthened his argument a Fighter of the Yr contender, registered a UFC document for takedowns landed (20) with 37 makes an attempt. His victory prolonged the division’s longest-ever win streak at 14 fights.
Of their scheduled three-round featherweight bout, the surprised crowd watched No. 9 contender Youssef Zalal (18-5-1) prime No. 8 Josh Emmett (19-6-0) by means of verbal submission at 1:38 of the primary spherical with a depraved arm bar.
Within the scheduled three-round middleweight bout, Joe Pyfer (15-3) got here out aggressive within the second rout with two fast punches to drop Abus Magomedov (28-7-1), after which dominated on the bottom till profitable by submission by way of rear bare choke on the 1:44 mark.
