Picks
Sportsbooks
Casino
Promos
Prediction Markets
Lottery
Guide
MMA
Picks Sportsbooks Casino Promos Prediction Markets Lottery Guide
Gambling is prohibited for underage individuals | Commercial content | Regional restrictions may apply | T&Cs apply | Play responsibly

UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 Preview: Main Card, Prelims, Early Prelims And Fights To Look Out For!

Zaid Quraishi

October 4, 2025, marks a massive night for MMA fans worldwide. The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will host UFC 320 and this card is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. This event had a wild journey just to get here. The main event gives us everything fight fans could want in a championship rematch. Magomed Ankalaev captured the Light Heavyweight title from Alex Pereira at UFC 313 via unanimous decision, but that fight sparked endless debates. 

The judges gave it to Ankalaev, yet only half of the media members agreed with the scoring. Pereira’s striking looked dangerous as always, while Ankalaev’s wrestling and pressure controlled long stretches. Now Pereira wants his belt back, and Ankalaev aims to prove his victory wasn’t controversial at all. The co-main event features another championship bout with Merab Dvalishvili defending his Bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen. 

UFC 320 Main Card Breakdown

The main card starts at the very top with the main event rematch of Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 for the Light Heavyweight Championship. Ankalaev’s wrestling and pressure won him the belt in their first meeting, but Pereira’s striking kept things competitive throughout. The Dagestani champion wants to prove his victory wasn’t lucky or controversial. Pereira (12-3) needs to show he can stop the takedowns and land that devastating left hook that’s finished off so many fighters. What makes this rematch fascinating is that Jiri Prochazka serves as the official backup fighter. 

The co-main event brings more championship action with Merab Dvalishvili defending his Bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili earned the belt by dethroning Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 with his relentless cardio and wrestling pressure. Sandhagen is long, technical, and dangerous from every position. His striking is clean and crisp, plus he’s no slouch on the ground either.

Moving down the card, the Light Heavyweight bout between Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr brings serious fireworks. Prochazka held the title before, losing it first due to injury and then getting knocked out by Pereira in a fight for the vacant title. Rountree just challenged Pereira for the belt at UFC 307, giving the champion a tough fight before getting stopped in round four. 

Next up at featherweight, Josh Emmett squares off against Youssef Zalal. Emmett hits like a truck despite fighting at 145 pounds. Zalal represents that new wave of technical strikers who can fight at range or close distance. The main card opener features a middleweight scrap between Abus Magomedov and Joe Pyfer. Magomedov brings that Dagestani wrestling pedigree fans have seen dominate the sport recently. Pyfer comes from the wrestling-heavy American system and throws heavy leather. 

Here Is The UFC 320 Main Card:

FightWeight Class
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex PereiraLight Heavyweight
Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory SandhagenBantamweight
Jiri Prochazka vs Khalil Rountree Jr.Light Heavyweight
Josh Emmett vs Youssef ZalalFeatherweight
Abus Magomedov vs Joe PyferMiddleweight

UFC 320 Preliminary Card Breakdown

The prelims with four solid fights that could steal the show. Kicking things off, Daniel Santos faces Yoo Joo-sang in a featherweight bout. This fight was originally scheduled for UFC Perth a week earlier but got bumped to this card. Santos brings explosive power and aggressive pressure, while Yoo represents South Korean MMA with technical striking.

Chris Gutierrez vs Farid Basharat gives fans a bantamweight striker vs grappler matchup. Gutierrez throws vicious leg kicks that chop opponents down like trees. Basharat comes from the same gym as many elite British fighters and brings solid wrestling to the table.

Edmen Shahbazyan meets Andre Muniz in a middleweight grappling match. Shahbazyan was once considered a future champion before hitting a rough patch. Muniz is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wizard who submits people for breakfast.

Whoever controls where this fight takes place probably wins. The prelim feature is Ateba Abega Gautier vs Osman Diaz at middleweight. Gautier made his UFC debut earlier this year and impressed with his striking combinations. Diaz represents Contender Series graduates looking to establish themselves in the big show. 

Here Is The UFC 320 Preliminary Card:

Fight Weight Class
Ateba Abega Gautier vs Ozzy DiazMiddleweight
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Andre MunizMiddleweight
Chris Gutierrez vs Farid BasharatBantamweight
Daniel Santos vs Yoo Joo-sangFeatherweight

UFC 320 Early Preliminary Card Breakdown

The early prelims feature five fights starting the night off right. Ramiz Brahimaj vs Austin Vanderford opens things up at welterweight. Vanderford comes from Bellator where he fought top competition, while Brahimaj has been grinding in the UFC for a few years. Punahele Soriano faces Nikolay Veretennikov in another welterweight bout. Soriano started his UFC career hot before cooling off recently. Veretennikov represents that wave of Russian fighters with well-rounded skills.

Patchy Mix vs Jakub Wiklacz brings bantamweight action to the early card. Mix held the Bellator Bantamweight title before jumping to the UFC. His wrestling and scrambling ability make him a nightmare matchup for anyone. Wiklacz represents Polish MMA’s continued growth and brings solid striking. Macy Chiasson meets Yana Santos in a Women’s Bantamweight bout that could impact the division’s middle rankings. Both women have UFC experience and know what it takes to win at this level.

The opening fight features Veronica Hardy vs Brogan Walker at Women’s Flyweight. Hardy’s been in the UFC for a while, bouncing between wins and losses. Walker represents newer fighters trying to make their mark. 

Here Is The UFC Early Prelims Card:

FightWeight Class
Macy Chiasson vs Yana SantosWomen’s Bantamweight
Patchy Mix vs Jakub WiklaczBantamweight
Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay VeretennikovWelterweight
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Austin VanderfordWelterweight
Veronica Hardy vs Brogan WalkerWomen’s Flyweight

UFC 320 Fights To Look Out For

Beyond the obvious championship bouts, several fights deserve fans’ full attention.

  • The Jiri Prochazka vs Khalil Rountree Jr matchup tops the list of must-watch non-title fights. Both guys throw caution to the wind and hunt for finishes. Prochazka’s samurai mentality leads him into wars every time he fights. Rountree brings power that could shut anyone’s lights off instantly. His recent performance against Pereira showed he belongs at the championship level. The winner likely gets the next title shot, making this a number one contender fight in everything but name.
  • Josh Emmett vs Youssef Zalal flies under the radar but could produce serious action. Emmett’s knockout power at featherweight is ridiculous for a guy his size. He’s dropped bigger opponents with single punches throughout his career. Zalal’s movement and technical striking provide the perfect counter to Emmett’s power. 
  • Patchy Mix vs Jakub Wiklacz is another early prelim fight worth waking up for. Mix comes from Bellator where he held the Bantamweight Championship and defended it successfully. His move to the UFC generated serious buzz since he was dominating over there. However, his UFC debut against Mario Bautista didn’t go as planned as he lost via decision. Now Mix needs to bounce back and show that loss was just a bad night. His scrambling ability and wrestling make him dangerous for anyone at 135 pounds. 
  • Veronica Hardy, the wife of former UFC fighter Dan Hardy will fight Brogan Walker. Hardy’s been around the UFC since 2019 and has shown flashes of brilliance mixed with inconsistency. She’s the kind of fighter who can look amazing one night and mediocre the next. Walker brings that hungry newcomer energy looking to make a statement. These early prelim women’s fights often produce exciting scraps because both fighters know they need to impress. Hardy needs to string together wins to stay in the UFC. Walker needs to prove she belongs on the big stage.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

mma mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!

Read more