Alex Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev's Next Best Fights After UFC 320 Results

Alex Pereira reclaimed his spot as the UFC's best light heavyweight on Saturday night. His first-round TKO victory over Magomed Ankalaev avenged his most recent loss and saw him regain the light heavyweight championship.

It's just the latest entry in a Hall of Fame career for Poatan. The heavy-handed champion is now a three-time champion with three title defenses to his name already.

Now he'll get the opportunity to add to that resume in a division that he's nearly cleaned out already.

Ankalaev isn't going anywhere, though. This was his first loss since 2018 and his relentless style is going to make for a tough matchup for anyone that is booked across from him.

Let's take a look at what could be on the horizon for both combatants.

Pereira's Next Best Fights

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

• Magomed Ankalaev
• Carlos Ulberg
• Khamzat Chimaev

With the series now tied at one apiece, there's an argument to be made that a trilogy between Ankalaev and Pereira is in order. The two are still the best in the division and the rubber match would certainly generate interest.

However, adding some new blood to the title picture could generate more interest.

Carlos Ulberg has positioned himself nicely to fill that role. The 34-year-old is on a nine-fight wins treak that includes a first-round knockout over former title challenger Dominick Reyes in Perth, Australia a week ago.

That was Ulberg's first time headlining a card. Going from that directly to a title fight would be a big leap in competition, but this is a division that needs new challengers.

Jiri Prochazka should also be a serious consideration. His victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. and status as a former champion in the division could set up a high-profile title fight.

Of course, the biggest pipe dream matchup is a superfight with middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. The Russian has already noted that he wants to become a three-division champion.

He has yet to defend his middleweight belt, but when he eventually goes up to 205 it will be big business.

Ankalaev's Next Best Fights

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

• Alex Pereira
• Khalil Rountree Jr.
• Carlos Ulberg

Ankalaev hasn't been a dominant champion, but this rivalry might be worth an immediate third fight. The Russian came in as a sizable favorite after his victory in the first fight so a rubber match to bring closure to the series could be warranted.

That's obviously the best case scenario for Ankalaev. Getting an immediate shot at the belt is usually reserved for longer standing champions, but skipping the line to get another crack at the belt would be ideal.

A matchup with Rountree would also make sense after Saturday's results. With a loss to Prochazka, he will be looking to bounce back quickly and an opportunity against the now former champion would be a way to do it.

Of course, Ankalaev will have to wait to see what happens with Pereira. If the UFC decides to pass over Carlos Ulberg then he would be an ideal opponent.

He has a ton of momentum after scoring a first-round knockout victory over Dominick Reyes. A title eliminator against someone like Ankalaev would be a great move for the light heavyweight division.