Magomed Ankalaev will defend his light heavyweight title against Alex Pereira the first weekend of October as the UFC heads back to Las Vegas, Nevada with a card worthy of the hype. Ankalaev vs Pereira best bets should be an intriguing sequel.
Can Magomed Ankalaev retain his title against the former Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira? According to the best Vegas online betting sites, Ankalaev is the favorite to defend of his belt in a little over three weeks time. Here is how those odds currently look:
Magomed Ankalaev has not lost a UFC fight in nearly seven years and ended Alex Pereira’s reign as champion. Just six months ago, he won a clear decision over Pereira. One of the best grapplers gets underrated when it comes to his punching ability. Ankalaev fights out of the southpaw stance and that definitely catches opponents off-guard.
Seeking to defend his UFC title, Ankalaev and Pereira are more than primed for a rematch. The 33-year-old Muslim uses combat sambo while 38-year-old Pereira primarily employs more of his kickboxing background.
The best UFC online betting sites have Ankalaev installed as a -225 favorite in the next UFC PPV while Pereira is paying out around the +180 to +200 range. Now, props often come out as the fight draws closer. Count on a few moneyline shifts between now and the first week of October.
How much does a rematch help the defending champion? The five year age difference may be a big factor. In the first fight, Ankalaev had a four inch reach disadvantage. It mattered little as his Sambo skills were on full display. He was also able to get in power shots on Pereira. The scorecards were close though. Only 11 of the 21 media outlets scored the fight for Ankalaev.
One difference between then and now is this. Time, particularly Father Time, is undefeated. Both of these fighters are inside the Top 10 of UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. Greatness is recognized here. However, some are concerned that Pereira had fought too much in 2024 and showed too many deficiencies in his game. Anakalaev is one of those “students of the game” that jumped on those opportunities.
Ankalaev is our pick to win this fight but always explore the books. The numbers may move a little more between now and October 4th. Find the number for win by decision. It may be different than what has opened.
With the underdog status may come a little more moneyline action. Alex Pereira is the former champion but as much as a +200 underdog to win his rematch with Magomed Ankalaev. The Ankalaev vs Pereira best bets wonder can Pereira win back his title?
Pereira has just three decisions in his 15 trips to the Octagon, but a decision still may be the path to victory here even for the Brazilian. The former Light Heavyweight belt holder still has championship training. That is not only physical but mental as well.
Now, this will be Pereira’s most difficult challenge yet. Ankalaev has not lost since his first UFC fight in 2018. Pereira started well early and needs to again. He proved a hard man for Ankalaev to keep down or take down. That elusiveness will need to be on full display for most or all of the 25 minutes. Another key will be those kicks. Pereira must keep the intensity up and force Ankalev to switch stances or slow down his attack.
Pereira’s kickboxing acumen can absolutely change any fight. However, his defense skills could wear down placing him more on the offensive. That creates risk but it also lights a path to possible victory. Pereira knows this may be his last true shot at gold. Now, it is that urgency which might make the difference via decision.
If you’re looking for props to watch our for, there will be plenty that open up within the next 10-14 days. Round props for knockouts and submissions could be low-end plus money for Ankalaev. When it comes to the Ankalaev vs Pereira best bets, be smart and do not jump on opening prop numbers yet.
Ankalaev by decision or even unanimous decision could be one of the safter betting options. Guessing the round of any knockout will be way tougher. It will be one of those cases were that or a submission could come in the later rounds. The over/under on rounds expects to be 4.5 as books gear more for a decision than anything else. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a 3.5 choice that sneaks in.
Contrasting styles do not always make for a fight full of fireworks. The first bout did not exactly set land speed records for pace and tempo. There were frequent bouts of what almost felt like slowness. Ankalaev must grind better and get Pereira down while Pereira needs to land his kicks and left hook at a better rate. Both fighters know they have much to improve and prove based off bout number one.
Ankalaev holds a few significant advantages. He grapples like Khabib Nurmagomedov. It moves the needle toward a submission a little. If Ankalaev gets Pereira to the ground better than in fight one, maybe a submission becomes more of a possibility.
How does one get their bets in on Ankalaev vs Pereira? Check out one of the bookmakers listed below. All these sites have bettor-friendly Vegas online odds for all UFC 320 fights!
