UFC 320 was a nightmare scenario for Magomed Ankalaev.
After a hard-fought decision win over Alex Pereira in March, Ankalaev faced a devastating rematch. In under two minutes, “Poatan” relentlessly pressured him, landed a knockout, and reclaimed the title (watch highlights). With Pereira’s dominance and a lineup of high-profile challengers available, an immediate trilogy seems highly unlikely.
Ankalaev has offered little in explanation for his UFC 320 performance, though his camp insists he was “severely compromised” heading into his first title defense. This claim gained traction after a leaked video showed he was dealing with broken ribs just three weeks before the fight. While many fans have dismissed this as an excuse or sour grapes, Ankalaev has unexpectedly found a defender in fellow Light Heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka.
“BJP” may not be a fan of Ankalaev after all the social media trash talk, but he’s still defending the former champion. According to Jiri Prochazka, Ankalaev wasn’t putting in much work at the UFC Performance Institute (PI) leading up to UFC 320—and on fight night, he simply didn’t show up.
“I didn’t see him training much at UFC PI,” Prochazka told MMA Fighting (via Home of Fight). “In the fight, he kept holding himself back, step after step. I thought, something’s not right. He was so careful, not like last time—going forward, changing levels, confident. He was a totally different person.”
Even so, the result stands. With Pereira sidelined until 2026 and expected to move to Heavyweight, the Light Heavyweight division is wide open. If a vacant or interim title fight comes up, Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg look like the frontrunners. Injuries aside, “Big Ank” will need to start winning again quickly if he wants to get back into the title mix—and keep any hope of a trilogy alive.