Magomed Ankalaev has announced his intention to move up to the heavyweight category and eventually claim the championship title in this weight class. Before making this transition, he plans to engage in several additional bouts within the light heavyweight division.

At present, Ankalaev is primarily concerned with defending his UFC lightweight title for the first time. His upcoming bout on October 5th against Brazilian challenger Alex Pereira will take place in Las Vegas and represents their second encounter in the professional arena.