Magomed Ankalaev will not be in action on International Fight Week despite the UFC offering him this spot.
Ankalaev claimed he was ready to move on from Alex Pereira after their light heavyweight title rematch was discussed for UFC 317.
Ariel Helwani confirmed that the champion was speaking the truth but the timeframe didn’t work for ‘Poatan’ who was incredibly active last year.
We now know that it will be Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title on June 28, with the next few PPV main events already locked in.
Ankalaev responded to all of the fight news by pitching a new location for his second encounter with ‘Poatan’.
Magomed Ankalaev calls out Alex Pereira for Abu Dhabi with October being a likely timeframe for the rematch
Following Dana White’s announcements, we now know which matchups will headline the next four PPV events from the MMA leader.
This means that even at the earliest available date, we won’t be seeing Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira 2 until October.
UFC 317 in Las Vegas is followed by UFC 318 in New Orleans for Dustin Poirier’s retirement fight, UFC 319 in Chicago where Dricus du Plessis faces Khamzat Chimaev and UFC 320 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
For the past several years, the UFC’s PPV event in October has seen the promotion head to Abu Dhabi where the likes of Islam Makhachev or last year’s Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway clash have topped the bill.
October in Abu Dhabi makes a lot of sense for the light heavyweight title rematch and it now appears that though there has been no official confirmation that this is the plan, this is what Ankalaev is targeting.
He responded to all of the fight news by calling Pereira out once again.
“I hope CHAMA will show up in Abu Dhabi, don’t be scared homie”
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The UFC’s PPV calendar for the remainder of 2025 could be absolutely stacked
If UFC 321 does take place in Abu Dhabi, it seems likely that Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira will feature on the card.
You also have the prospect of Islam Makhachev challenging Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title on the same night following the confirmation that this will be the next welterweight title fight.
Dana White even provided a positive update regarding Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall during his Instagram live, telling fans, “Just relax, I’ll announce that soon.”
The promotion’s yearly return to Madison Square Garden in November would be a very fitting destination for the heavyweight title unification, which just leaves December to close out the year in style.