Will 2025 finally be the year Magomed Ankalaev earns his long-awaited shot at Alex Pereira? Pereira, currently on a run of a lifetime would be looking to make his next move in the Octagon. Despite Ankalaev’s #1 contender status, the UFC seems uninterested in booking the matchup. Ankalaev, however, has been relentless in his pursuit of a fight against Pereira, leaving no stone unturned in his callouts.

The Russian even accused Pereira of resorting to “voodoo” tactics in a scathing verbal jab aimed at the Brazilian. His provocative remarks haven’t stopped there, as Ankalaev has devised another jibe to stoke the flames of this potential showdown.

Magomed Ankalaev eyes a shot at the 205lbs title

According to Championship Rounds, Magomed Ankalaev recently escalated his callouts to Alex Pereira with a bold challenge on X, saying, “Enjoy life while you can. You have been a great champion, but your time is up. See you soon.” Ankalaev has been vocal in his demands, urging UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard to finalize his next outing for the light heavyweight championship.

Pereira, known for his calm yet cutting responses, hasn’t remained silent. In previous interviews, he dismissed Ankalaev as “boring” and expressed frustration with the constant disrespect. Speaking about the fight’s uncertainty, Pereira stated, “The organization doesn’t want to make the fight. But now, because they keep saying that and keep disrespecting me, maybe I’ll make it a little bit harder for them to fight (me).”

Ankalaev has already cleared out the division and is the clear-cut contender for Pereira’s title next. But does the UFC see it the same way? Rumour has it that the promotion might be trying to make this fight happen!

The verbal jabs continue amid Pereira vs. Ankalaev rumors

According to a recent post on X by MMA reporter Rueben Carter, “Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev targeted for #UFC315 in May 2025 (Source: @aliabdelaziz00).” This update comes at a crucial time, as Ankalaev had previously claimed Pereira was unwilling to agree to the fight. Adding fuel to the fire, Jon Jones had also expressed interest in facing Pereira, creating a brewing storm between the trio.

In return, Ankalaev referred to both Jones and Pereira as “desserts” in a fiery exchange. This prompted Jones to fire back on social media, accusing Ankalaev of jealousy and telling him to “train harder”. The verbal spat took an intriguing turn at the 2024 MMA World Championships in Russia, where Ankalaev doubled down on his focus on Pereira. “The desserts are both very tasty,” he quipped. “But Pereira is in my division, so I would choose him. I think I’ve done everything to deserve the next title shot. I’d like to tell Alex, ‘Hey, stop running away from me. We should fight.”

As the war of words intensifies, UFC 315 is a far stretch with multiple PPVs lying in between. With Pereira, Ankalaev, and Jones all in the mix, fans are left wondering if 2025 will see these three titans collide in some capacity. Will the UFC deliver the matchups fans are clamoring for? Let us know who you’d like to see step into the Octagon!