MMA analyst Chael Sonnen believes Alex Pereira is making a mistake by seeking an immediate rematch with Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira recently lost his light heavyweight title to Ankalaev at UFC 313. Before this fight, there was talk of Pereira potentially moving up to heavyweight. Now, despite the loss, a rematch with Ankalaev seems likely. Sonnen, however, disagrees with this plan.
Speaking on Submission Radio, Sonnen, a self-proclaimed fan of Pereira, stated that the first fight offered no compelling reason to expect a different outcome in a rematch. He emphasized that Ankalaev clearly won their first encounter, dominating four out of five rounds.
Sonnen acknowledged Pereira`s success in defending takedowns but pointed out the fight`s slow pace and lack of significant action. He argued that there`s no evidence to suggest future rounds would favor Pereira. He also questioned why people assume only Pereira would learn from the first fight, noting that Ankalaev, who struggled with takedowns, also has areas to improve.
While Pereira views the rematch as a chance to redeem himself and overcome issues he faced before the first fight, Sonnen believes Pereira is missing a bigger picture. Sonnen contends that Pereira`s best path forward remains a move to the heavyweight division.
Sonnen finds the rematch surprising and risky. He reminded that Pereira moved to light heavyweight not after dominating middleweight, but after losing his title there. This loss, Sonnen argues, freed Pereira to move weight classes. He suggests that instead of rematching Ankalaev, Pereira should capitalize on the opportunity to compete at heavyweight, potentially against the winner of a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight. Sonnen warns that losing a second time to Ankalaev would be more damaging to Pereira`s reputation than accepting the initial loss and moving on.
Pereira and Ankalaev are anticipated to have their rematch later in the year, with August being discussed as a possible timeframe.
