Jamahal Hill Reveals the One Key Adjustment Alex Pereira Must Make to Beat Magomed Ankalaev!

Once seen as an unstoppable force in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Alex Pereira saw his reign come to an abrupt halt at UFC 313. His highly anticipated title defense against Magomed Ankalaev ended in a unanimous decision loss, marking the end of one of the most thrilling title runs in recent history.

The defeat sent shockwaves through the MMA world. Pereira, a two-division champion and one of the sport’s most feared strikers, had been on the verge of a superfight against Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall. Now, instead of a potential move to heavyweight gold, Pereira finds himself plotting revenge.

The Road Back: Pereira’s Need for a Tactical Overhaul

For Pereira, the path forward is clear—he must beat Ankalaev in a rematch to regain his belt and keep his championship aspirations alive. However, according to one of his former opponents, Jamahal Hill, Pereira must make one major adjustment if he wants to reclaim the throne.

Hill, who suffered a brutal knockout loss to Pereira at UFC 300, has a unique perspective on what makes “Poatan” such a dangerous striker. But after watching UFC 313, Hill believes that Pereira must refine his approach if he hopes to overcome Ankalaev’s dominant style in a second meeting.

Jamahal Hill’s Advice: Cardio and Kick Volume Are Key

Speaking to Home of Fight, Hill pinpointed two critical areas where Pereira needs improvement:

“I think he can, he’s really capable of making the adjustments he needs to make to win that fight,” Hill said. “He’s going to have to be locked into the gym to where he don’t get tired. He’s going to have to up his cardio a lot because his output is going to have to go up.”

Hill emphasized that Pereira needs to increase his volume of kicks significantly.

“His output with the kicks… adding more kicks and working a lot more of having a higher volume with kicks in this fight will get it done. But we’ll see!”

Pereira, known for his devastating left hook and pinpoint precision, struggled to keep up with Ankalaev’s grappling-heavy attack at UFC 313. If he hopes to turn the tide in the rematch, Hill believes that cardio and relentless kick volume will be the difference-makers.

Pereira’s Optimistic Mindset After UFC 313 Loss

Despite the defeat, Pereira has remained upbeat. The Brazilian knockout artist has already begun teasing adjustments for the rematch, suggesting that he recognizes what went wrong and is determined to fix the holes in his game.

Interestingly, Ankalaev wasted no time agreeing to a rematch, signaling that he’s confident in his ability to beat Pereira again. But with Pereira’s history of rapid improvements and elite-level coaching under Glover Teixeira, there’s no doubt that he’ll come into the second fight with a refined strategy.

Did Pereira cheat? Ankalaev’s Team Sparks Controversy

The build-up to the rematch has already taken a heated turn, with Ankalaev’s camp accusing Pereira of cheating at UFC 313. They claim that Pereira used an unspecified ointment on his body to make it harder for Ankalaev to secure takedowns.

Ankalaev’s coach directly blamed Glover Teixeira, though no official evidence has surfaced to support the claim. Pereira has yet to publicly respond to these accusations, but the controversy only adds more bad blood to an already high-stakes rivalry.

The odds stacked against Pereira? UFC Experts Weigh In

With Ankalaev’s dominant performance at UFC 313, many MMA analysts are skeptical of Pereira’s chances in a rematch. Even former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has expressed doubts about Pereira’s ability to overcome Ankalaev’s wrestling-heavy attack.

But if there’s one thing that Pereira has proven throughout his career, it’s that he thrives in high-pressure situations. From knocking out Israel Adesanya in kickboxing and MMA to his stunning knockout of Jamahal Hill, Pereira has always bounced back in spectacular fashion.

Jamahal Hill’s Own Road to Redemption

Meanwhile, Jamahal Hill is also looking for his own resurgence. After suffering back-to-back losses to Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka, Hill is now set to face Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC Kansas City on April 26.

Hill’s future in the light heavyweight division is uncertain, but a dominant win over Rountree could put him back in the title conversation. And if Pereira wins his rematch with Ankalaev, there’s always the possibility that these two could meet again down the line.

Pereira’s Must-Win Moment: The Stakes Have Never Been Higher

For Alex Pereira, the Ankalaev rematch is career-defining. A second loss to Ankalaev would likely shatter his light heavyweight title hopes, forcing him to either move up to heavyweight or take a long road back to contention.

But a win? That would put Pereira back on top of the division, making him a prime candidate for a superfight against Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall.

Can “Poatan” make the necessary adjustments and reclaim his throne? Or will Ankalaev cement his dominance as the new light heavyweight king?