UFC 320 predictions: Will Pereira retake the throne?
theScore's Nick Baldwin makes his picks for the UFC 320 main-card bouts ahead of Saturday's event in Las Vegas.
Light heavyweight championship
Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1, 1 NC)
vs.
Alex Pereira (12-3)
As much as I'd like to say Alex Pereira can make the rematch more interesting than the first fight, I don't have any reason to think it'll play out much differently than when Magomed Ankalaev outworked him at UFC 313 in March to seize the title.
Ankalaev proved to be a tough stylistic matchup for Pereira, and that'll be the case again. He kept Pereira on the back foot, outstruck the former kickboxing champion, and mixed in some clinch work. Pereira was too concerned about being taken down, and as a result, he wasn't aggressive enough on the feet, which is when "Poatan" shines.
Pereira can beat Ankalaev, but at 38 years old, it's an uphill battle. He likely needs a knockout - or at least a knockdown to swing a round in his favor - while Ankalaev has several paths to victory, including by suffocating the challenger on the ground. I'll take the Dagestani to put on a similar performance as he did in the spring, cementing himself as the top 205-pound fighter in the promotion.
The pick: Ankalaev, unanimous decision
Bantamweight championship
Merab Dvalishvili (20-4)
vs.
Cory Sandhagen (18-5)
I can't see this going well for Cory Sandhagen.
And that's not a knock on him by any means, but rather a vote of confidence in Dvalishvili. The bantamweight champ is on a different level than his peers, with recent performances like his upset of Umar Nurmagomedov in January or his submission of Sean O'Malley in June making it difficult to pick against him.
Sandhagen needs to keep this fight standing at all costs. He has a crafty striking arsenal and could theoretically outwork Dvalishvili if he fights at a distance. But that's way easier said than done. "The Machine" is literally that: a man who walks forward, walks forward some more, and absolutely drowns you with pressure. Boasting perhaps the best cardiovascular endurance in the UFC, Dvalishvili never slows down. I fear Sandhagen will be backing up and trying to fend off takedowns throughout much of the fight.
I'm expecting another Dvalishvili clinic.
The pick: Dvalishvili, unanimous decision
Light heavyweight bout
Jiri Prochazka (31-5-1)
vs.
Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-6, 1 NC)
The two title fights at the top of UFC 320 are great, but this is the people's main event. Jiri Prochazka versus Khalil Rountree Jr. will either be one of the best fights of the year or end in a devastating knockout - or both. It's also a really tough one to call.
I'm leaning toward Prochazka to turn the fight into a slugfest and bust up Rountree down the stretch. But it wouldn't surprise me if Rountree takes advantage of Prochazka's suboptimal defense and either outworks or knocks out the former champion.
The pick: Prochazka, third-round TKO
Featherweight bout
Josh Emmett (19-5)
vs.
Youssef Zalal (17-5-1)
Youssef Zalal has looked terrific since returning to the UFC in 2024, winning four fights with three finishes. A win over Josh Emmett would catapult him into the featherweight title mix. Emmett is the more seasoned fighter and has the most knockout power in the featherweight division, but it's hard to back a 40-year-old over a 29-year-old. Give me Zalal to outwork Emmett and score the biggest win of his career.
The pick: Zalal, unanimous decision
Middleweight bout
Abus Magomedov (28-6-1)
vs.
Joe Pyfer (14-3)
I'm still not completely sold that Joe Pyfer is ready to be a contender in the middleweight division. Still, he's probably just good enough to get past someone of Abus Magomedov's caliber. I'll take Pyfer to score a late stoppage in a rather competitive fight.
The pick: Pyfer, third-round TKO
