Ankalaev stuns Pereira to win UFC Light Heavyweight title

Russian Magomed Ankalaev shocked the MMA world with the biggest victory of his UFC career, dethroning Brazilian Alex Pereira to win the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Ankalaev (21-1-1), unbeaten since March 2018, outclassed former kickboxing champion Pereira with relentless forward pressure, well-timed knees to the body, and superior grappling, leaving the Brazilian exhausted and unable to mount his signature offence.

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The 32-year-old Russian dominated large portions of the fight, pinning Pereira against the cage and forcing him into grappling exchanges. His efforts were rewarded with a unanimous decision victory, earning scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 from the judges.

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“I can’t even put it into words. It has been such a long wait. Here’s my dream, and it’s on my waist,” Ankalaev said, finally securing UFC gold after fighting Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in his first title bout in December 2022.

Pereira (12-2), who had won his last four fights by knockout, started aggressively, attacking Ankalaev’s lead leg with powerful kicks. However, the Russian responded in the second round with a hard left hand that wobbled Pereira just before the bell.

Ankalaev continued to dictate the fight in the third round, landing knees from close range while Pereira struggled to defend against takedown attempts. By the fourth round, Ankalaev’s grappling superiority drained Pereira’s energy as he controlled the action against the fence.

With his corner urging him to fight back, Pereira came out aggressively in the final round, landing a head kick. But his late surge was not enough to sway the judges, as the former middleweight champion suffered only the third loss of his professional MMA career.

“The plan was to pressure, pressure, pressure. Everyone who fights him tries to counter, but I wanted to make sure I fought as the number one,” Ankalaev said.

Despite the loss, Pereira remained defiant. “I knew it would be a war. He put some pressure on in the second round, but pinning me against the cage, he didn’t really do anything,” he said.

“I’m going to keep training. I feel good, I don’t think I’m hurt or anything. I’ll take a few days off and get back into it—this is my life.”