Chael Sonnen, a former UFC fighter and now a prominent analyst, believes Alex Pereira is making a misstep by opting for an immediate rematch against Magomed Ankalaev after losing his light heavyweight title at UFC 313. Sonnen expressed his concerns during an interview with Submission Radio, emphasizing that there was little in their first fight to suggest a different outcome the second time around.
“I’m a very big Alex Pereira fan, on a personal level but also his work inside the cage,” Sonnen said. “I gotta tell you, there is nothing within that first fight, whether illness, injury, or a combination of both, that would lead a reasonable analyst to believe you’re going to have a different outcome in the second fight.”
Pereira’s Performance and Ankalaev’s Dominance
Pereira, known for his striking prowess, surprised many by effectively stuffing Ankalaev’s takedown attempts. However, Sonnen pointed out that despite Pereira’s success in this area, the fight was heavily one-sided.
“That first fight was four to one. It was four rounds to one. It really was not overly competitive,” Sonnen stated. “There were some [good] things done by Pereira, such as stopping the takedowns. We didn’t know he had this ability. It was a pretty slow pace and there wasn’t a lot done. I’m just suggesting there was nothing we saw, even at a slow pace, even at a drawn down action-packed night or lack thereof, there’s nothing to believe that rounds six, seven, eight, nine, and 10 are going to be any different.”
Sonnen further argued that while Pereira may have gained experience from the loss, the same applies to Ankalaev, who now has a clearer understanding of Pereira’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Whatever it is that Pereira is supposed to have learned in that job experience, why would we not believe an equal amount would be learned by Ankalaev? Ankalaev is the one that had his takedowns stuffed. So in theory, he’s the one that would have felt and know where the adjustments are to get the big guy off his feet. And once he gets him on the ground, I can’t imagine that’s where the judges are going to see it [Pereira’s] way.”
Sonnen’s Perspective: Heavyweight is the Future
While Pereira remains focused on reclaiming the light heavyweight title, Sonnen believes his biggest opportunity lies in moving up to heavyweight. Sonnen pointed out that Pereira’s move to light heavyweight was not due to dominating the middleweight division but because he had lost the title to Israel Adesanya.
“I think it’s a surprise and I think it’s a risk,” Sonnen remarked. “The way we got Pereira to 205 pounds is contrary to what people remember. People’s minds have played a trick on them. People believe Pereira got to 205 because he cleaned out 185. That is not accurate. He got beat. And when he got beat at 185, he no longer has the belt, he no longer has to stay as the head of the division. He is free like anyone else to go anywhere he wants.”
“If we wanted to get him to heavyweight, it wasn’t by beating Ankalaev thus cleaning out 205. It would’ve been to get him beat, which we did. Our opportunity to bump him up to be able to take on the winner of a Jones vs. Aspinall ... the way to do it has already been done, and I’m not certain we shouldn’t have taken full advantage.”
The Risk of Consecutive Losses
Sonnen warned that a second consecutive loss to Ankalaev could be detrimental to Pereira’s career trajectory.
“The fight was close, he stopped the takedowns, it added to the story; let it go. There was nothing embarrassing about it. But if you rematch and you drop two straight ... that’s where some embarrassment does set in.”
Pereira vs. Ankalaev 2 Likely for August
Despite Sonnen’s concerns, both Pereira and Ankalaev have hinted that a rematch is on the horizon, likely targeting August 2025. As the fight approaches, fans will be eager to see whether Pereira can adapt and overcome Ankalaev or if Sonnen’s prediction of a similar outcome holds true.