UFC 320 fight fallout: Best options for Alex Pereira, Merab Dvalishvili and Jiri Prochazka after Saturday

Alex Pereira returned to the light heavyweight mountaintop, Merab Dvalishvili further solidified his legacy and Jiri Prochazka notched another insane knockout at UFC 320. Saturday’s pay-per-view laid the groundwork for interesting future fights.

Pereira demolished Ankalaev, stopping him in 80 seconds, after losing the UFC light heavyweight title to him in March. There’s no need for a rematch after Ankalaev failed to rack up a title defense. Fortunately, a worthy contender was in attendance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. There’s also former champion Jiri Prochazka, who demolished Khalil Rountree Jr. after a tough two rounds.

Dvalishvili already had a case for being the all-time best bantamweight. It’s only more compelling after his decisive decision over Cory Sandhagen. If Dvalishvili wants to truly separate himself from fellow bantamweight greats, Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw, there’s an appropriate challenge waiting in the wings.

After an exciting, action-packed night, let’s explore the tantalizing fights the UFC can book next.

Light heavyweight

Alex Pereira vs. Carlos Ulberg: UFC CEO Dana White revealed, during Saturday’s post-fight press conference, that Pereira’s team approached him about a heavyweight fight this week. We’ll address that next. If Pereira stays put, fighting Ulberg produces guaranteed fireworks. Both men are strikers with knockout power. Ulberg isn’t a huge draw, but it’s a great booking for a championship doubleheader. 

After beating Ankalaev, Pereira initiated a moment of silence for Jon Jones’ late brother, Super Bowl winner Arthur Jones. Pereira appeared to have another speech planned. Maybe he planned to call out Jones, or the winner of Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane. With a lack of compelling heavyweight contenders, Pereira could seemingly move up for a quick one-off while still holding the 205-pound title.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Jiri Prochazka: Prochazka needed Pereira to lose on Saturday. Now, he’ll have to contend with staying afloat atop the division. Pereira’s two dominant victories over Prochazka make it hard to sell a trilogy. Instead, Prochazka can turn his attention to Ankalaev. It’s a fresh matchup with some backstory. Prochazka took issue with Ankalaev mocking him on social media during fight week. Prochazka previously claimed he was offered a title shot against Ankalaev, but turned it down to finish his master’s degree. Now is the time to pair them up.

Khalil Rountree vs. Jan Blachowicz or Bogdan Guskov: Rountree looked so good for the first 10 minutes of his fight with Prochazka. Unfortunately, if you can’t hurt Prochazka, he’ll ultimately hurt you. Rountree has absorbed a disturbing amount of damage between his losses to Pereira and Prochazka. A step backward would be good for him. Former light heavyweight champion Blachowicz and rising striker Guskov meet in November. Rountree will be ranked in proximity to the winner. A fight with Blachowicz gives Rountree a break from KO artists while a fight with Guskov plays into Rountree’s strengths against a potentially less elite opponent.

Bantamweight

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2: Dvalishvili wants to set a record four title defenses in 12 months. The UFC should entertain it. The champ wants to fight Yan on Nov. 15. It’s unlikely that matchmakers will book a third title fight at UFC 322, but UFC 323 doesn’t have one just yet. Yan, a former champion, redeemed himself with three consecutive wins after losing three straight, and is primed for a rematch with Dvalishvili. Yan hasn’t fought since July, giving him ample time to recover for the Dec. 6 card.

Cory Sandhagen vs. Sean O’Malley: Sandhagen and O’Malley publicly discussed a bantamweight title fight at next year’s White House card. A title fight is off the table, but it’s preposterous that these elite strikers haven’t fought yet. Now is the perfect time. Both men need a bounce-back fight after losing to Dvalishvili. Whether it’s at the White House or not, Sandhagen vs. O’Malley should be booked next. The winner of Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi is another appropriate choice.