Is The Story Over?

Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira II via MMAjunkie.com

After over a month of absence, the UFC is back. On October 4th, in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada, the deepest card of the year takes place. The title of this preview says enough, so without further ado, let’s get into the matchups.

For the light heavyweight championship of the world, newly crowned champion Magomed Ankalaev looks to defend his belt in the rematch versus all-time legend Alex Pereira.

Pereira needs no introduction, but in case you needed a reminder, here it is. Poatan joined the UFC in late 2022, and since then, has gone through a murderer’s row of legends, en route to becoming one of the greatest fighters we’ve ever seen. Pereira has defeated Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Jan Błachowicz, Jiří Procházka twice, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree Jr. On top of this, the 2024 Fighter of the Year has cemented himself as the face of the UFC, vaulting the company to new heights. Saving both the UFC 300 and 303 cards on short notice, Poatan has rightfully earned himself an immediate rematch after losing his title.

On the other side, we have Magomed Ankalaev. Outside of a minor blemish in his career, Magomed Ankalaev has dominated every opponent he has faced. Ankalaev is one of many elite fighters to emerge from Dagestan, Russia. Unlike the dominant grapplers who came before him, however, the champion possesses a versatile skillset. His striking skills are flawless, possessing quick hands out of the southpaw stance, along with lightning-fast kicks from either leg. With the majority of his victories coming by knockout, Ankalaev has yet to utilize his most potent weapon, wrestling.

In their first fight, Ankalaev effectively countered Pereira's own game. With the constant fear of being taken down, Poatan was gun-shy, holding back from entering exchanges with Ankalaev. Ultimately, this hesitancy led to his being dominated. Despite defending all 13 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts, Pereira was unable to get into a rhythm the entire contest. Ankalaev comfortably cruised to a victory, and many think that the rematch will be no different.

Many thought that the last fight was the best Poatan had ever looked, and if Ankalaev managed to soundly defeat the former champion, the rematch may have the same script.

In the co-main event, Bantamweight GOAT Merab Dvalishvili looks for his third title defence against Cory Sandhagen. The champion needs no introduction. His resume is unparalleled, and outside of Sandhagen, he has dominated every 135-pounder on the roster. The Georgian’s game plan is clear for the fight; weaponize his endless cardio and drown Sandhagen, whether it be via submission or a dominant decision.

On the other side, we have a challenger who has been knocking on the championship door for half a decade. Cory Sandhagen is the definition of evolving. Having entered the UFC as a pure striker, Sandhagen has subtly become one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC. His recent victory over Deiveson Figueiredo attests to his improvement, as he dominated the former champion in his own game, grappling. 

Despite Sandhagen’s well-roundedness, he enters the contest as the significant underdog, and rightfully so. At the moment, Dvalishvili looks unbeatable, and if Sandhagen wants to etch his name into Bantamweight history, he will need to knock out the dominant champion in spectacular fashion. If he fails to do so, we could be looking at a five-round route by Dvalishvili.

In the featured bout of the evening, former light-heavyweight Jiří Procházka takes on Khalil Rountree Jr. Both fighters are coming off of dominant victories over the likes of Jamahal Hill, and find themselves on the edge of title shots. The repercussions of the main event will greatly affect each fighter, as both have suffered losses to Alex Pereira; therefore, an Ankalaev victory would be optimal for both athletes.

Tactically, this fight is unlikely to go the distance.  Procházka will do what he always does: enter into wild exchanges on the feet, hoping to catch Rountree and finish the fight. On the other hand, Rountree, the technically superior fighter, will look to utilize his elite Muay Thai skills to defeat Procházka. If Procházka falls into the trap of keeping his hands down in exchanges, Rountree will have many openings to find the finish.

The importance of this bout cannot be understated for both fighters. The winner will find himself on the cusp of championship glory. The loser will be moved to the back of the line in the light heavyweight division.

Will Poatan avenge his loss? Will Ankalaev cement his pound-for-pound dominant status? Will Dvalishvili continue his all-time reign? Or will Sandhagen shock the world? Who will claw their way back to the light-heavyweight title? All questions will be answered on October 4th in Las Vegas.