Alex Pereira opens up about his knockout of Magomed Ankalaev before UFC Freedom 250 fight against Ciryl Gane

Alex Pereira has harked back to his iconic knockout win over Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch.

"Poatan" opened up about his mindset heading into that fight. The 38-year-old also laid emphasis on the positive message his incredible victory over archrival Ankalaev sent to his fans. 

Alex Pereira is set to fight Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House event

Brazil's Alex Pereira is beheld as one of the greatest strikers to have ever fought in the sport of mixed martial arts.

The former Glory Kickboxing middleweight and light heavyweight titlist is currently on the cusp of becoming a three-division UFC champion. He previously held the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight belts and is now going to compete for interim UFC heavyweight gold. 

Currently, Pereira is scheduled to take on ex-interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight championship. The duo will co-headline UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14. 

The Pereira vs. Gane matchup has tremendously high stakes, as the winner would earn the opportunity to face heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall when he returns from his injury break. 

Alex Pereira revisits Magomed Ankalaev rematch before UFC Freedom 250

In an edition of UFC Connected, former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira recounted his redemption in his two-fight series against Magomed Ankalaev.

The Dagestani grappling savant had beaten him via unanimous decision at UFC 313 in March of 2025 to end his UFC light heavyweight title reign. However, Pereira reclaimed the title by beating Ankalaev via first-round TKO at UFC 320 in October of 2025. 

Pereira suggested that their first encounter was close, so he felt that being a little better would surely help him win the rematch. He stated, "I felt really confident going into that second fight with Ankalaev."

Highlighting how he planned the knockout sequence with ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira, Pereira recalled asking Teixeira whether he should use a jab-straight on Ankalaev.

Teixeira encouraged him, predicting that he'll finish Ankalaev with it. Moreover, Pereira alluded that he was healthier heading into the rematch. He said: 

"I've made some changes. This time I came in at 100 percent. I came in feeling great. I kept thinking, 'Tonight's my night.' I came out aggressive in that second fight. That caught him off guard. He had his back to the fence, and I kept hunting him." 

The fearsome knockout artist continued, "I was landing kicks, and I could tell he felt them. Then I landed that shot to his head. He tried to shoot to defend, which was perfect for me."

Furthermore, Pereira underscored that he began to apply pressure, landing elbows and other ground strikes. He noted that the consistent pressure led to the referee stepping in and handing him the TKO win. 

Pereira explained that reclaiming the title was great, adding that he thereby sent a message to his fans to never give up on their dreams. 

 

Watch Alex Pereira revisit the Magomed Ankalaev rematch below: