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Magomed Ankalaev dethrones Alex Pereira in razor-close UFC 313 title fight

The UFC officially has a new light heavyweight champion.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

One of the most highly-anticipated fights of the year finally took place at UFC 313 when Alex Pereira squared off with Magomed Ankalaev.

Ankalaev Trades Strikes With "Poatan"

Undefeated since moving up to light heavyweight in 2023, Pereira claimed the division's vacant title at UFC 295 and secured his place as 2024's "Fighter of the Year" when he successfully defended it with three-straight finishes.

UFC 313 live results & highlights for Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Pereira's incredible year generated conversations about a potential triple-champ bid against UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, but "Poatan" maintained his active light heavyweight schedule when he was booked to meet #1-ranked contender Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 314.

Ankalaev previously fought for the vacant light heavyweight belt in a bout with former titleholder Jan Błachowicz that ended in a split draw, and after back-to-back wins the 32-year-old finally earned his second crack at UFC gold.

Pereira actually opened as an underdog before closing as a slight favorite when he and Ankalaev finally entered the cage, and while the challenger did settle into the fight as the first round went on "Poatan" also found immediate success with his leg kicks.

Fighter opens UFC 313 main card with jaw-dropping head kick KO

A more aggressive Ankalaev began to land more leg kicks of his own to start the second round, and a big connection with two minutes left encouraged the 32-year-old to open up a bit more until he appeared to stagger the champion just before the bell sounded.

The success in the second round clearly bolstered Ankalaev's confidence to start the third, and while the challenger still had to be wary of Pereira's counterstrikes the Brazilian found himself on the back foot for the majority of the round.

Ankalaev attempted several takedowns during the course of the fourth round but was happy to settle for dominant clinch positions along the fence, and the broadcast team noted that Pereira looked to be feeling the effects of the prolonged grappling exchanges heading into the final round.

Justin Gaethje silences doubters, wins lightweight war in UFC 313 co-main event

With the scorecards uncertain after four closely-contested rounds, Pereira stood his ground more in the fifth round but once again found himself tied up in a clinch with Ankalaev to close things out.

Fans were divided about which man should get their hand raised immediately following the fight, and it was Ankalaev who was crowned new UFC light heavyweight champion by unanimous decision.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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