Magomed Ankalaev clinches light-heavyweight title after defeating Alex Pereira

At UFC 313, the fight between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev provided an exciting prelude to the main event of the evening. But the real treat came right after, when Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev met in the octagon in a fight for the light heavyweight title! Expectations were high because this fight was supposed to answer many doubts. Ankalaev was considered one of the most difficult opponents for Pereira in terms of style, while "Poatan" had a huge motive to show that he could defeat a fighter with great grappling skills.

Alex Pereira, as always, started the fight by looking at his opponent coolly, which was very visible from the camera shots. However, Magomed Ankalaev did not seem impressed by his gaze. The Dagestani came to Las Vegas with great confidence, convinced that after a long journey he would reach his first UFC belt. After the initial greetings, the fight began.

The first rounds: A test of strength and tactics

While many expected Ankalaev to try to take down Pereira right away, he chose to approach the fight cautiously. Instead, the fighters traded blows from a distance. The Brazilian was active with a left calf kick, while Magomed countered with a few low kicks. The first round was very even, with Magomed trying to take down Pereira towards the end of the round, but without success. This was a key moment for the Brazilian, who defended the takedown, which increased his confidence.

Towards the end of the second round, the Dagestani increasingly took control, successfully hitting Pereira with several good punches. However, at the very end of the round, "Poatan" was shaken by a left hook, but there was not enough time to continue the attack. Magomed looked increasingly aggressive, while Pereira was visibly stressed and unable to reach his usual form.

After a series of even and tense rounds, the fight reached its climax in the fifth round. Ankalaev tried to take down Alex once again, but the Brazilian excelled in defense, while Ankalaev was losing some energy.

In the end, after all these exchanges, the judges decided that Ankalaev was the better one, and unanimously awarded the victory to the Dagestani with scores of 49-46 and 48-47 (x2).

"This has been such a long journey, and having this belt around my waist is my dream," he said after the fight.

This is Alex's second loss in the UFC, after he recently lost to Israel Adesanya. Considering that he put in a solid performance, his return to the octagon is very likely.