The pursuit of UFC gold is relentless—but when it comes to the light heavyweight crown, the division has been stuck in limbo for far too long. After months of uncertainty and delays, the 205 lbs title picture is finally coming back to life. On October 4, reigning champion Magomed Ankalaev will put his belt on the line against Alex Pereira. The long-awaited rematch has faced its share of setbacks, but it’s now officially set in stone.

While October may still be nearly two months away, it marks a critical turning point for a weight class that’s been stuck in limbo. And already, one familiar contender is watching closely from the sidelines—eager to jump back into the title picture. That contender? None other than 35-year-old Dominick Reyes—the same man who once pushed Jon Jones to the brink.

Dominick Reyes lays out two-fight blueprint for UFC gold in 2026

After suffering a brutal four-fight skid, Reyes has now bounced back with three straight wins and currently holds the No. 8 spot in the UFC light heavyweight rankings. With his momentum building and a new contract signed earlier this year with Dana White & Co., Reyes is wasting no time plotting his return to title contention.

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During a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Reyes broke down his game plan for securing a shot at UFC gold, outlining a two-step path. As he put it: “Fight Khalil, beat Khalil, and then I’d probably have to fight again.” And when it comes to that second fight, Reyes has one name in mind: Jiri Procházka. “I’d probably have to fight Jiri. I would love to rematch Jiri—that would be awesome. And then fight for the title—whoever has it.” declared Dominick Reyes.

But even as he lays out his vision, Reyes recognizes the uphill battle he faces. The UFC ranks both Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jiri Procházka firmly in the top five, and contenders at this level never get an easy path. As Reyes bluntly admitted: “Well, I’d like it to be one, but I know they’re not going to make it that easy for me.”

And he’s right. Reyes and Procházka fought before, in 2021. It was a tough bout that concluded with Procházka finishing Reyes with his famous spinning back elbow. Procházka’s next fight is against Khalil Rountree Jr., which is said to be on the undercard of Pereira vs. Ankalaev. The winner of that fight could very well be the promotion’s top choice for the next title shot.

Magomed Ankalaev predicts destruction for Alex Pereira in long-awaited UFC 320 sequel

Magomed Ankalaev put on the best show of his life at UFC 313 in March. The Russian striker used all of his skills to make the fearsome Alex Pereira appear like a different person in his own striking area. Pereira’s mystique faded under the lights of the T-Mobile Arena as Ankalaev’s domination grabbed center stage, sending a clear message to the whole light heavyweight class.

Even though Pereira was able to stop all of Ankalaev’s attempts to take him down, the night was mostly one-sided. Ankalaev didn’t simply take his championship shot; he owned it. He made history by being the first Dagestani fighter to beat an incumbent UFC champion. This was something that Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev couldn’t do, since they both claimed vacant belts.

Now, with the highly anticipated rematch just months away, Ankalaev is making his intentions crystal clear. He’s not settling for another decision—this time, he’s aiming for a finish. Posting on X, Ankalaev wrote: “Dana White announced my next fight on October 4th, I’m knocking Alex out this time. There is no other way, get ready for the big show.”

Now that UFC 320 is officially locked in, how do you see Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev 2.0 playing out? Can Pereira reclaim the belt, or will Ankalaev dominate once again? Drop your prediction below.