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Alex Pereira required just under a minute and a half to regain the light-heavyweight world championship after stopping Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320.

The victory came seven months after he suffered a decision defeat to the Russian competitor at UFC 313.

Pereira, that had evidently learned from his defeat in March, wasted no time by connecting with a massive right hook.

The audience in Las Vegas erupted as the two-division champion shook the his opponent with a heavy blow before referee Herb Dean ended the bout following several violent elbows to the head.

"Vengeance is never a positive motive. I explained I wasn't in a good position in our first fight but no-one believed it, tonight you saw it," Pereira commented following his victory.

"I expected it, I noticed during our initial bout. I don't like to make excuses but I wasn't 100% that night."

Ankalaev was seeking his thirteenth victory consecutively but managed just two out of seven significant strikes, while 25 of Pereira's 37 landed effectively.

After entering the UFC in 2021, the Brazilian has quickly transformed into a major attraction, achieving a dual-weight titleholder in only seven fights - an unprecedented pace.

After capturing the middleweight title, Pereira moved up to light heavyweight and, following his title win, his three successful defenses in 2024 led to him being named the UFC fighter of the year alongside Ilia Topuria.

The champion encountered his toughest challenge in facing his rival, with the opponent preventing the Brazilian from landing his huge strikes in their first fight - but that was not a problem the second time around, with Pereira thudding the side of his adversary's head in the opening moments.

Ankalaev had ended the Brazilian's run of three successful defenses within twelve months in the initial bout but the ex-titleholder now has a second defeat on his professional history - and first since March 2018.

Currently tied at one victory each, a third encounter could determine who takes the ultimate superiority for good.

Pereira 'Wants to Fight at Heavyweight' - White

Although he recaptured the light-heavyweight title he lost in March, the fighter has plans for moving up an additional division to heavyweight, as stated by UFC chief the organization's head.

Before the rematch with Ankalaev, Pereira and his camp told the president of his intention to make the move to the heavyweight division. The UFC president stated at the post-fight news conference: "He expressed they want to fight at heavyweight but I advised to focus on this fight initially. There are still fights in this division, but we'll consider."

"He has been an exceptional athlete for us. He fights when injured, he doesn't care. He seeks to face all challengers and advance to heavyweight. Many considerations to talk about after tonight."

When asked what his reservations were on the fighter transitioning divisions, the president answered: "He started as a middleweight - to jump up two weight classes in the UFC, it differs from jumping up two weight classes in boxing."

"I don't have reservations but he's in a division where there are still so many fights."

'The Machine' Merab Dvalishvili Persists to Make Mark in History Books

During the featured bout, Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili claimed a commanding judges' decision over the American Cory Sandhagen to retain his 135-pound championship.

The win was the Georgian's 14th consecutive win - taking him up to third place for most consecutive victories in UFC history. Only two other fighters, on fifteen, and Anderson Silva with sixteen rank above.

The officials judged the fight with wide margins in support of the champion.

"I'm like a machine. I keep getting better. My training is intense. It seems my journey is starting, I'm just starting and I continuously develop," said Dvalishvili post-fight.

The Georgian, 34 years old, was in control of the fight on the front foot and consistently kept his opponent on the defence.

Although the champion's self-assurance and daunting win streak, Sandhagen was not overawed and connected with 23 out of 48 power shots in the first round, but the momentum shifted two minutes into the second stanza when the Georgian connected powerfully with a combination.

Sandhagen endured the attack but remained under pressure, with the Georgian establishing a new UFC record for the highest number of takedowns in a five-round fight with twenty on the path to winning.