Report: Pereira to fight Ankalaev next

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will fight Magomed Ankalaev next, sources told Yahoo Sports' Ariel Helwani.

Despite speculation that Pereira could move up to heavyweight, that's not happening anytime soon. Pereira's team said he would need at least six months to make the move properly, Helwani notes.

Pereira most recently defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. by TKO at UFC 307 in October to retain his belt. It was his third light heavyweight title defense. The 37-year-old's dominance in the division has led some to hope that he'll fight heavyweight champion Jon Jones next. The Brazilian has said that the idea of a superfight versus Jones excites him.

Ankalaev is currently the No. 1 ranked light heavyweight after defeating Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision at UFC 308. He hasn't lost a fight since his UFC debut against Paul Craig in 2018.

It's still unclear when and where the title fight between Pereira and Ankalaev would take place.