Former light heavyweight titleholder Magomed Ankalaev entered his UFC 320 rematch with Alex Pereira carrying a serious injury, according to newly surfaced footage that’s now circulating online.
Just three weeks before the event, Ankalaev was filmed receiving medical treatment for what was later identified as a broken rib, raising questions about his physical state going into the title defense. The video, posted on social media by Léo Guimaraes, appears to confirm he was dealing with the issue throughout his fight camp.
“Magomed Ankalaev fought against Alex Poatan at UFC 320 with a broken rib,” Guimaraes wrote. “Here is the video, in full, showing the injury suffered by the former champion. I confirmed that part of the team tried to prevent the Russian from competing, but the decision was not unanimous. The video was made about 20 days before the fight.”
🚨🤯 Incredible toughness from Magomed Ankalaev! A newly surfaced video shows him with stitches on a broken rib just 20 days before the fight, as his team tried to convince him to withdraw — but he refused. 💪🔥 True warrior mentality.
🎥 @leoguimaraesmma#UFC #MagomedAnkalaev… pic.twitter.com/L6VP42dGRC
— Fight Night MMA (@HealthVerse007) October 7, 2025
Injury Came to Light After the Defeat
Ankalaev’s first-round defeat shocked many. Pereira stormed forward from the opening seconds, quickly forcing Ankalaev into a desperate takedown attempt that failed. Once on top, Pereira unloaded punches and elbows until referee Herb Dean halted the fight 1 minute and 20 seconds into Round 1.
The defeat cost Ankalaev his belt and ended his 12-fight unbeaten streak. It was later revealed through his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, that Ankalaev had been struggling long before fight night.
Sources later told MMA Fighting that despite spending weeks in Las Vegas preparing, Ankalaev was barely able to spar. Some sessions reportedly ended early because of the pain from his rib injury.
After the loss, Ankalaev released a statement but made no mention of any health issues that affected his performance. He had previously defeated Pereira to capture the championship and was aiming for his first successful defense at UFC 320.
Instead, Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title for a second time, evening their head-to-head series at 1–1. It’s unclear whether the UFC plans to schedule a trilogy bout soon or wait until Ankalaev fully recovers.
For now, the focus shifts to Ankalaev’s rehabilitation. The rib injury will likely require additional time before he can resume training and plot his comeback.
Ankalaev, 19–2–1, had notable wins over Pereira, Aleksandar Rakic, and Johnny Walker before the loss. The 32-year-old now faces the challenge of returning to the top after both a damaging defeat and a significant injury setback.
