Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira are set to meet again for a light heavyweight title rematch on Oct. 4 at UFC 320 in Las Vegas. Their first clash at UFC 313 earlier this year saw Ankalaev claim the belt by unanimous decision with his pressure and clinch control to neutralize Pereira’s striking.Heading into the rematch, Ankalaev has dismissed Pereira’s criticisms and accused him of relying on excuses after their first encounter. 'Poatan' later confirmed Joe Rogan's claim that the Brazilian was affected by Norovirus during training camp.Ankalaev also fired back at Pereira's recent statement that the Dagestani avoided confrontation with Pereira at the UFC Performance Institute. Keeping all of that in mind, Ankalaev took to X and wrote:"This clown, [whom] I’m fighting, said I’m hiding from him, I’m giving him a rematch, and he should be very grateful. I whooped him for 5 rounds, and I did everything I wanted to him during the fight. Let’s focus on fighting and not trash-talking."He added:"This guy has been knocked out 3 times in his career, I never been knocked down. This time, I will give him his 4th knockout, end of the story."Check out Magomed Ankalaev's X post below:As for Pereira, he believes his offensive arsenal can break through Ankalaev’s measured style in the rematch. He had suggested that Ankalaev was overly cautious in their first meeting and is expected to approach the fight with more volume and aggression.Rashad Evans backs Alex Pereira’s mindset ahead of rematch against Magomed AnkalaevRashad Evans believes Alex Pereira’s fiery approach ahead of UFC 320 could change the narrative in his rematch against Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira, coming off a unanimous decision loss at UFC 313, has shown fresh intensity during fight week as he prepares to reclaim the light heavyweight title.Evans views this as Pereira potentially rediscovering the edge that once made him a feared competitor. Speaking in a recent appearance on The Bohnfire podcast, Evans said:"I'm glad that he's kind of reconnected to that savage part of himself. Because listen, this isn't a nice contest. Yeah, it's great, you can have respect for your opponent. But there has to be that part of you that is just an asshole, to say the least. You've got to be a savage in there. For him to tap back into that savagery, he's going to need to do that. He's going to need that. I'm glad he's feeling that way, and I'm glad that he's not liking him. Shake hands and be friends after the competition." [H/t: MMA Junkie]