Magomed Ankalaev refuses to give up on chase for Alex Pereira trilogy

UFC light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev is still interested in hunting down a future third fight against Alex Pereira.

This weekend, Magomed Ankalaev will attempt to get back on the winning trail when he goes head to head with Bogdan Guskov. While Guskov is certainly a dangerous opponent for him to face, the former champion will definitely be the overwhelming favorite.

RELATED: Magomed Ankalaev calls Bogdan Guskov a ‘tuneup’ fight at UFC Abu Dhabi: ‘This is just a fight to be back’

In his last outing, however, Ankalaev was left stunned after being beaten by Alex Pereira in their UFC 320 rematch. Ever since then, he has been rebuilding as he tries to pursue and hold the UFC light heavyweight championship for a second time.

In a recent interview, Ankalaev made it crystal clear that his goal is to have a third fight with Poatan.

Magomed Ankalaev says he still wants a trilogy fight with Alex Pereira, believing it remains one of the biggest fights the UFC can make regardless of whether it happens at light heavyweight or heavyweight.

“I want that fight, and I’ll be chasing it,” Ankalaev told Red Corner… pic.twitter.com/M9kWU92Opb

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 21, 2026

Ankalaev wants third Pereira fight

“I will be chasing that fight,” Ankalaev told Red Corner MMA in a translated interview, “no matter if it takes place at heavyweight or light heavyweight. Although he moved up, so I’m not just focusing on him as I have some business to finish in the light heavyweight division.

“But at the end of the day, as long as he’s not retired, I’m sure the UFC would be interested. We are 1-1. I won the first fight, and it’s fair to say it was domination. I lost the second one, but it was just an accident. So, I think the third fight should be very exciting for the fans. Time will tell.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Given that Pereira is up at heavyweight right now, it’s not clear as to what exactly the path would be to making this fight happen, so we will have to wait and see how it all plays out.

Do you believe we will see Ankalaev get his third fight against Pereira at some point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!