UFC champion Alex Pereira thinks Jiri Prochazka is next in line: ‘Ankalaev will have to wait’

UFC light heavyweight champion Alexandre Pereira hope to resolve things with Jiri Prochazka next.

Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) made his first title defense at knocked out Jamahal Hill in the main fight of UFC 300. On the same night, Prochazka finished Aleksandar Rakicrecovering from his title loss to Pereira at UFC 295.

Top contender Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC), who is coming off a knockout over Johnny Walker in January, is campaigning for a title shot. However, it looks like he won’t get his wish.

“Breaking news,” Pereira said through an interpreter during a media briefing at UFC 301 (h/t MMA Fight). “I think if I wait (Ankalaev x Prochazka), it will take a long time. I want to fight before then.

“And I think, as far as we know, probably next in line will be Prochazka. Ankalaev will have to wait a little. I know Jamahal Hill is talking nonsense, but he’s also going to have to wait a little longer. I think Prochazka will be next.”

Pereira’s choice is based on timing and his willingness to jump into another training camp soon.

“We told them when we want to fight,” Pereira said. “Nothing about anyone yet – we don’t know. But they said due to the deadline, it will probably be Prochazka. But whoever wants to fight, we will go ahead.

Prochazka (30-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) called out Pereira after knocking out Rakic. He was unhappy with the stoppage in the defeat to Pereira last November, thinking referee Marc Goddard intervened too early.

But “Poatan” doesn’t expect a different version of Prochazka if there is a rematch.

“I don’t think he will prove to be a very different fighter because compared to my evolution that I had in just a few MMA fights, he has more than 20 fights,” said Pereira. “He has been fighting for a long time.

“I think for each fighter you reach a point where you start to evolve less because of the mileage you have in this game, the amount of fights you have and the experience. So I think I will improve more from the previous fight than he did.”

This story originally appeared on MMA Junkie