Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira Prediction: A rematch for the ranking of the Light Heavyweight division

Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira: Prediction and odds on the Match on 05 October, 2025

Two great fighters, Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev, will fight on Sunday, October 5th, 2025. This match will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are fighting for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, which Magomed Ankalaev currently holds. The fight is set as the Main Event (fight 14 of 14) under the 205 lbs (93.0 kg) weight class. This fight is part of one of the UFC's best lineups ever organized. Who will win this encounter? Here at Telecom Asia, we take a look at the match’s preview and offer free betting opportunities.

Magomed Ankalaev: Form and Statistics

Magomed Ankalaev boasts of a professional record of 21 wins, a draw and a loss. He last fought in four months against Aleksandar Rakić and won by unanimous decision. Before that, he faced Johnny Walker and won by Right Hook Uppercut technical knockout in the second round. This fight earned him the UFC Fight Night Performance of the Night. In 2018, he joined the UFC promotion after a successful spell at Akhmat Fight Club (AFC) in which he had a successful spell with 5 wins. In the UFC he recorded 11 wins, a draw, a loss and a no contest. His no contest fight came against Johnny Walker due to an Accidental Illegal Knee in the first round. Paul Craig submits Magomed Ankalaev in the last second of round 3. Magomed’s debut UFC fight was going to plan, he was up on all the judges' scorecards and was 1 second away from winning his first fight in the UFC. But Paul Craig had other ideas and caught Magomed in a triangle. Magomed Ankalaev went up against Dalcha Lungiambula and landed a right Front Kick CLEAN to the Jaw of Dalcha and puts him to sleep in the start of Round 3.

Magomed Ankalaev: Strength

Magomed Ankalaev is the most dangerous and underrated MMA fighter in the UFC. A future Hall Of Famer who has been disrespected all along despite getting the job done. Aside from Bones, I can't remember a better fighter with elite grappling and standup striking skillets.

Alex Pereira: Form and Statistics

Alex Pereira is a 38-year-old fighter who stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 205 pounds, with a reach of 79 inches. He has a mixed martial arts record of 12 wins and 3 losses, including 9 wins and 1 loss in the UFC. His most recent fight was a knockout victory over Khalil Rountree Jr, which earned him the UFC 307 Fight of the Night. He faced Jiri Prochazka twice and won in both encounters. The first was on November 11, 2023, which earned him the "Performance of the Night" award at UFC 295. This win also got him the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship. The recent encounter was on June, winning by head kick and earned the UFC 303 Performance of the Night. Previously, Alex lost his UFC middleweight championship to Israel Adesanya, whom he had defeated the year before to win that title. Alex is looking forward to more standout performances. Throughout his career, he has also won the WGP Championship against César Almeida, the GK Interim Light Heavyweight Championship against Donegi Abena, the GK Middleweight Championship against Ertugrul Bayrak, and again the UFC Vacant Light Heavyweight Championship.

Alex Pereira: Strength

Alex Pereira once left his opponent unconscious for 8 minutes after a terrifying faceplant Knockout. That performance earned him his UFC contract. Alex Pereira strategy against an opponent has been by going backwards, chin in the air, and the ability to generate power and accuracy with his left hook.

Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira Betting Insights, Tips & Odds

• Magomed Ankalaev is the third fighter from Dagestan to win a UFC title along with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. They have a combined MMA record of 77-2-1 (1NC).
• Magomed Ankalaev hits 204.5 lbs on the scale ahead of his first LHW title defense at UFC320. Magomed has never won by submission (or even attempted a sub) in his career.
• Pereira has a very underrated chin which is not noticed due to the Izzy knockout. He has shown that he can take punches. Alex Pereira Got hit clean by Rountree, Ankalaev, Jiri, and Jan.

Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira Expert Betting Tips

Both fighters have more time to rest and recover from their last fight, which ended in a win for both of them. Magomed Ankalaev has what it takes to stop Alex Pereira's powerful strikes and win by grinding it out. Over the years, Ankalaev has become a more organized striker, landing more than twice as many leg kicks each minute while still being very attentive of his defense. He can lower Poatan's knockout power by limiting his balance and mobility. He can do this by chipping away at Pereira's base with leg kicks and having better strike defense (57% vs. Pereira's 53%). Ankalaev has a big advantage in grappling and control time, with an average of almost 200 seconds of control every 15 minutes, compared to Pereira's. This two-pronged attack makes Pereira have to defend against takedowns while taking kicks from a distance, which gives Ankalaev control of the tempo and position of the fight. With his proven stamina and smart fight IQ, Ankalaev is in a good position to weather Pereira's early storm, take the fight deeper, and either outpoint or tire down the former champion in the latter rounds. This careful, risk-averse style allows him a lot of ways to win, which makes him a deadly stylistic match for Pereira.

Our first prediction is Over 4.5 rounds - 1.83 odds for 1xbet

Our second prediction is W1 to win fight either by TKO,KO,DQ or Decision - 1.60 odds for bet365

Our third prediction is +5.5 Spread Alex Pereira - 2.00 odds for Betway