Alex Pereira was finally dethroned by Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313 on Saturday night.
Since saving UFC 300 last April, Pereira had been on the rampage of all rampages, clearing out the light-heavyweight division with three title defeces in just six months. Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr all fell victim to ‘Poatan’ and his legendary power before Ankalaev stepped up in Las Vegas.
The T-Mobile Arena once again played host to a Pereira headliner on a card that featured a string of exciting finishes. Dana White was likely struggling to pick bonus winners as the night was littered with impressive moments.
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Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev UFC 313 result
Alex Pereira is an infamously aloof character, and that didn’t change in the moments leading up to UFC 313. He posed for photos with Mark Zuckerberg backstage and appeared unfazed as ever heading into the challenging main event.
Magomed Ankalaev was arguably the most intriguing stylistic matchup of all of Pereira’s challengers to date, given his wrestling and sambo background. However, it didn’t seem to concern ‘Poatan’ as he made what Joe Rogan called the ‘greatest walkout in the sport’.
A tentative start to the round saw Pereira establish his distance and power with low kicks, which stopped Ankalaev from shooting in for a takedown. The striking exchanges early were surprisingly even, if perhaps moving towards being in favor of the Russian.
It took until the end of the first round for the shot to come in, with Pereira staying on his feet despite the solid entry. In the second, Ankalaev actually managed to have success with the striking despite what was expected pre-fight.
By the third round, it seemed as though the challenger was not concerned at all by the frightening power of the champ. He walked Pereira down and ignore the pain of the regular leg kicks, but did have to step back after one particularly big combination.
Ankalaev didn’t cover himself with glory as far as the fans were concerned when he immediately shot against the cage in the fourth. After three boring minutes referee Marc Goddard split them up, but it quickly ended up in a similar position.
The fifth was a solid Pereira round, accentuated by a big headkick halfway through as neither man pushed the pace as expected. Eventually Ankalaev got him against the cage, but it surely wasn’t enough to turn around the round.
The judges ultimately scored the fight in favor of Ankalaev unanimously, with two cards reading 48-47 and one going 49-46 for the challenger. It spells the end of the reign of ‘Poatan’ after three successful defences.
UFC 313 was night of iconic moments
It wasn’t just Pereira and Ankalaev who got fans out of their seats, with the entire night providing entertainment from top to bottom. UFC 313 was delayed by over an hour after two fights fell through on fight day, but once it started it didn’t disappoint.
The opening prelim between Ozzy Diaz and Djorden Santos was a Fight of the Year contender, with the pair swinging for the fences from bell to bell. As the night wore on, there were highlight reel knockouts and submissions aplenty.
Perhaps the most exciting of those stoppages saw Mauricio Ruffy land a stunning wheel kick KO that left King Green face-planted on the canvas. Just moments later, Ignacio Bahamondes submitted Jalin Turner in a major shocker that forced his 29-year-old rival to retire in the octagon.
Of course, in the co-main event Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev delivered with a back-and-forth brawl that once again went the distance. ‘The Highlight’ got the nod after three intense rounds that were split arguably by just a few moments of brilliance.
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