Magomed Ankalaev achieved his long-awaited dream of becoming a champion by securing a unanimous decision victory against Alex Pereira, a major star in the sport, in the main event of UFC 313.
Ankalaev’s victory was rooted in a strategic approach of constant pressure. He consistently pursued Pereira with well-timed strikes and effectively pinned him against the cage in the later rounds to solidify his win. A pivotal moment in the fight was Ankalaev’s powerful left hook in the second round, which visibly stunned Pereira, putting the Brazilian on the defensive for much of the remainder of the bout.
The judges’ scorecards reflected Ankalaev’s dominance with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47, officially crowning him as the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
“Words can’t express how I feel,” Ankalaev stated after his victory. “This has been a long journey, and my dream has finally come true. It’s right here on my waist. Nothing about the fight really surprised me. I believe I could have performed even better, but despite some challenges, I am incredibly happy with the win.”
While Ankalaev celebrated his triumph, a disappointed Pereira reflected on what went wrong, quickly realizing that the judges likely favored Ankalaev’s extended periods of grappling against the cage.
“I anticipated a tough fight. Every fight I have is a battle,” Pereira commented. “He applied pressure in the second round, and I felt some of his strikes. However, when he pressed me against the cage, he wasn’t really effective. We stuck to our game plan.”
“We know his strategy is to push opponents against the fence and utilize that tactic. Awarding a win for that kind of game plan might encourage others to adopt a similar style. Some may consider it boring, but when it leads to victory, it becomes an appealing approach. Ironically, I was the one who hurt him against the fence, even though I was positioned against it.”
Ultimately, the fight’s outcome was determined by Ankalaev’s successful strategy to neutralize Pereira’s striking abilities, which proved effective over the course of the 25-minute fight.
“The plan was simple: pressure, pressure, pressure,” Ankalaev explained. “Most fighters counter against him, but my goal was to be the aggressor, forcing my opponent to counter me. And my plan worked perfectly.”
Pereira initiated the fight aggressively, landing several calf kicks early on to set the tone and immediately impacting Ankalaev’s movement. Despite this, Ankalaev found his rhythm and responded with his own combinations.
A late takedown attempt by Ankalaev in the first round was unsuccessful, and he ended the round having already absorbed significant damage to his lead leg from Pereira’s persistent kicks.
Despite visibly limping, Ankalaev retaliated with his own kicks, landing several solid shots to Pereira’s midsection. Pereira remained composed, waiting for an opening to strike, but Ankalaev showed no hesitation, unleashing a powerful overhand left that connected with Pereira’s chin.
This forced Pereira to become more active, but it backfired when Ankalaev surged forward with another powerful left hook that rocked the Brazilian. Pereira momentarily stumbled, and Ankalaev pressed his attack, but the round concluded before he could capitalize further.
Ankalaev’s aggression and precision began to limit Pereira’s typical offensive output, though Pereira still posed a threat with his powerful punches. Ankalaev remained undeterred, stunning Pereira again with a sharp straight right hand.
As the fight progressed into the championship rounds, Ankalaev transitioned to grappling for the first time, but Pereira defended well against the cage. Although takedowns were unsuccessful, Ankalaev maintained constant pressure, forcing Pereira to expend energy defending his position.
While not the most exciting display, Ankalaev’s grappling began to wear down Pereira, while he continued to land punches and knees to the body.
In the final round, Ankalaev landed a strong right hook. Pereira responded by moving forward and landing a head kick that caught Ankalaev’s attention.
Ankalaev countered with a right hand, but Pereira’s accuracy was becoming a concern. Pereira landed jabs before Ankalaev clinched, attempting to take Pereira’s back against the cage.
Unable to secure a takedown, Ankalaev landed knees to Pereira’s legs as time ran out.
Despite the possibility of varied scorecards due to close rounds, the judges were unanimous in their decision, awarding Ankalaev the victory. Ankalaev celebrated his championship win, while Pereira is likely considering a potential immediate rematch.
“I will continue training,” Pereira said when asked about his future. “I feel fine, not injured. I’ll take a few days off and get back to training. This is my life.”
