UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev took place on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Magomed Ankalaev defeated Alex Pereira via unanimous decision to win the UFC light heavyweight title — ending Pereira's four-defense championship reign that had run from November 2023 through October 2024. The card produced an estimated 700,000 pay-per-view buys.
Ankalaev had been the most-discussed unbooked title fight in the light heavyweight division since his controversial split-draw with Jan Blachowicz in 2022 — a fight most observers scored for Ankalaev. His TKO of Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in October 2024 had finally earned him the title shot. Pereira was -250; Ankalaev was +190.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 20,171 (full capacity)
📺 PPV Buys: ~700,000
🏆 Main Event: Alex Pereira (c) vs. Magomed Ankalaev — UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (205 lbs)
✅ Result: Ankalaev def. Pereira via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
The Build-Up
Alex Pereira had run the light heavyweight title through four defenses: TKO Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295, TKO Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, KO Prochazka 2 at UFC 303, TKO Rountree at UFC 307. Ankalaev had been the most-robbed uncrowned champion in the division since his split-draw with Blachowicz in 2022. His UFC 308 TKO of Rakic earned the title shot. The stylistic matchup was the most anticipated of the Pereira era: a complete Dagestani wrestling-and-boxing hybrid against the Brazilian kickboxer who had KO'd or TKO'd every light heavyweight title challenger.
Main Event: Pereira vs. Ankalaev
Ankalaev used the same blueprint that Strickland and Muhammad had used against Adesanya and Edwards — high-volume forward pressure and wrestling threat to disrupt the champion's timing. In five rounds, Ankalaev's wrestling denied Pereira the space to set up his power shots, scoring takedowns in rounds one, two, and four. His striking volume in rounds three and five outpaced Pereira's counter-punch game.
Pereira created genuine danger in round three and round five — clean right hands that wobbled Ankalaev on two occasions — but could not follow with the finishing combinations. Ankalaev's chin absorbed both shots and he resumed his wrestling pressure. Final scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 49-46. Magomed Ankalaev was the UFC light heavyweight champion. The Dagestani wrestling game had finally solved the Pereira problem.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Magomed Ankalaev def. Alex Pereira (c) — Unanimous Decision (49-46 ×3) — Light Heavyweight Title
Renato Moicano def. Islam Makhachev (c) — Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — Lightweight Title (Moicano new champion)
Bo Nickal def. Brendan Allen — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R2 — Middleweight
Carlos Ulberg def. Jamahal Hill — TKO (punches) — R2 — Light Heavyweight
Mateusz Gamrot def. Dan Hooker — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Lightweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Nursulton Ruziboev def. Gerald Meerschaert — TKO (punches) — R1 — Middleweight
Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Nicolas Dalby — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Welterweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Magomed Ankalaev — $50,000 for the dominant 49-46 unanimous-decision win over Alex Pereira to win the light heavyweight title.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Renato Moicano — $50,000 for the stunning 48-47 unanimous-decision upset of Islam Makhachev to win the lightweight title.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Bo Nickal — $50,000 for the second-round submission of Brendan Allen, his seventh UFC win.
Records & Milestones
• Ankalaev became the first Dagestani UFC light heavyweight champion in divisional history.
• Pereira's four-defense light heavyweight title reign (2023-2025) was the most active in divisional history since Jon Jones's 2011-2015 run.
• UFC 313 produced two title changes on a single PPV card — the second time in 2025 this occurred (after UFC 312).
Legacy & Impact
UFC 313 is remembered as the night the Pereira light heavyweight era ended and the Ankalaev era began. The blueprint was consistent with the modern UFC approach to Pereira: wrestling pressure and volume to disrupt the timing of his power shots. Ankalaev executed it more completely than any prior challenger — his takedown sequences were more efficient than Prochazka’s attempts, and his chin absorbed the two wobbling moments without crisis.
The Moicano lightweight title win was the night's secondary shock — the Brazilian's 48-47 upset of Islam Makhachev, the consensus #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, was the biggest upset since Sean O'Malley's title win at UFC 292 in August 2023. Two title changes in one night — the second consecutive UFC card to produce such a result.
FAQ
What was the blueprint for beating Pereira?
The blueprint confirmed by Ankalaev's win: wrestling pressure to disrupt Pereira's preferred counter-punching range, combined with the chin to absorb his power shots when they land clean. Every contender who tried to out-strike Pereira at distance — Prochazka twice, Hill, Rountree — failed. Ankalaev's wrestling takedowns neutralised the counter-punch setup and his 49-46 sweep reflected how completely the blueprint was executed.
How does UFC 313 compare to UFC 312?
UFC 313 drew approximately 700,000 PPV buys versus UFC 312 (750,000) two weeks earlier — a 50,000-buy drop reflecting the Pereira star power's diminishing PPV premium after four title defenses versus the novelty of Della Maddalena's Australian title win. The two title changes matched UFC 312's output despite the lower headline buy rate.
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