UFC 320: Ankalaev heavily-backed favorite to beat Pereira

Alex Pereira will receive what could very well be the final chance in his storied career to reclaim the light heavyweight title belt when he gets a rematch against Magomed Ankalaev in UFC 320 in Las Vegas.

However, Pereira will enter the Octagon as the decided underdog, with his odds shifting from +170 to +210 at BetMGM. Ankalaev (20-1-1, 1 no contest) has been backed by 89 percent of the fight bets and 66 percent of the money wagered while moving from -210 to -275.

Ankalaev already has beaten Pereira (12-3-0) once this year. After the first bout at UFC 313 in March, Pereira claimed he fought at just 40 percent of his usual capabilities due to injury. Ahead of the second matchup, he won't reveal just how healthy he is, but he made it clear that it shouldn't be used as an excuse this time around.

"I took this time off to rest, to take care of myself and to heal some injuries," Pereira said. "I can tell you that I'm going to be very good in this fight. I can't tell you an exact percentage, but I can tell you I'm going to be doing well."

"Obviously, I'm here to win," Pereira continued. "We can't control everything, but I'm here to win. In the last fight, I wasn't able to show a lot. This time, I had time to really prepare, and I think I'm going to be able to show everything that I've improved and everything I've been learning."

Ankalaev, on the other hand, hopes to wash his hands of the Pereira problem once and for all. Another win for the 33-year-old Russian sambo star would mark 15 consecutive fights without a loss.

Ankalaev's only career UFC loss came during his debut against Paul Craig in 2018, and it taught him lessons that have made him nearly unbeatable since then. The defeat showed Ankalaev that staying calm is a superpower, and that demeanor proved crucial in his initial victory over Pereira.

"When it comes to my calmness, my calm demeanor, I think it comes from taking the lessons out of that one loss that I had at the very beginning of my career," Ankalaev said. "I took a specific lesson out of that. I learned things I needed to find from that loss. From then on, I think the confidence comes from preparation and hard work.

"It's something that every fighter develops as they go through their career. They find that calm in which they can operate during the fight. When it comes to being nervous in front of a certain fight, I can't say that I've never been nervous or I've never been shaky. There were fights where, not that I was scared, but it was more responsibility that I felt going in. At this point, for this fight specifically, the reason for the calm is that I went through a really good camp."

The most popular prop bet on the card at BetMGM has been a Pereira win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification at +300. The second most popular has been a Pereira victory by decision or technical decision at +900 longshot odds.

OTHER MAIN CARD FIGHTS

Merab Dvalishvili (20-4-0) vs. Cory Sandhagen (18-5)

In the co-main event, Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight title. He defeated Sean O'Malley for the belt at UFC 306 last September and in the rematch at UFC 316 in June, the latter being his 13th consecutive win. Sandhagen has won four of his past five bouts, but enters as the +310 underdog against Dvalishvili (-425).

Jiri Prochazka (31-5-1) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-6)

Prochazka is 2-2 since being forced to relinquish the light heavyweight title in late 2022. The 32-year-old now faces Rountree, who is coming off a unanimous decision win over Jamahal Hill in June. This is a big fight for status within the division. Prochazka has received 60 percent of the total bets as the -200 favorite while Rountree has been backed by 73 percent of the total money at +165.

Josh Emmett (19-5) vs. Youssef Zalal (17-5-1)

The 40-year-old Emmett is coming off a loss to Britain's Lerone Murphy. Zalal has won seven consecutive fights overall and four since returning to the promotion, including a victory over Calvin Kattar in February. Zalal is one of the biggest favorites on the card, sitting at -500 on Friday. However, that has led to heavy action on Emmett, who has drawn 87 percent of the bets and 92 percent of the money at +360.

Abus Magomedov (28-6-1) vs. Joe Pyfer (14-3)

The main card kicks off with a middleweight bout between unranked fighters. Magomedov has won his past three fights, mostly recent scoring a decision victory over Michel Pereira. Pyfer is a former Dana White Contender Series fighter who is 5-1 inside the Octagon. Pyfer is the -250 favorite and has been backed by 96 percent of the money to defeat Magomedov (+200).

-- Field Level Media