Magomed Ankalaev entered his light heavyweight fight at UFC 313 with a clear strategy: apply constant pressure on Alex Pereira.
The plan paid off, as Ankalaev scored a remarkable upset, winning by unanimous decision and claiming Pereira’s undisputed light heavyweight title.
“I can’t even put it into words,” Ankalaev said in the post-fight interview through a translator. “It’s been such a long journey, and it’s my dream. Now it’s on my waist.”
All three judges scored the fight in Ankalaev’s favor, with two giving him a 48-47 score and one scoring it 49-46.
Ankalaev, who was undeterred by Pereira’s dangerous leg kicks in the first round, remained aggressive throughout the fight. Rather than being cautious, he took the fight to Pereira, relentlessly pressuring him and using his powerful left hand to stagger the top-ranked UFC star.
Bruce Buffer’s announcement of the result was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd, which had been heavily supporting Pereira.
“I knew it would be a war,” said Pereira (12-3-0), who was defending his belt for the fourth time. “Every fight of mine is a war.”
Pereira (12-2), who will turn 38 on July 7, closed as a -120 favorite.
Although the fight was incredibly close, UFC President Dana White was asked about the possibility of a rematch and simply responded with, “Probably.”
In the co-main event, No. 3-ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje (27-5-0), a fan favorite, earned a unanimous decision victory over No. 11 Rafael Fiziev (12-4-0) in what was named “Fight of the Night.” Gaethje, who was initially set to fight Dan Hooker before he withdrew due to a hand injury, dropped Fiziev with a powerful right uppercut in the second round.
In a lightweight bout, Ignacio Bahamondes (17-5-0) scored a first-round win, forcing Jalin Turner (14-9-0) to tap out with a triangle choke at 2:29. After the fight, Turner left the cage and waited near the press row to allow Bahamondes to finish his interview. Turner had planned to return to the cage to retire by leaving his gloves, but security prevented him from doing so.
No. 5-ranked strawweight Amanda Lemos improved her record to 15-4-1 with a unanimous decision victory over seventh-ranked Iasmin Lucindo (17-6-0).
Mauricio Ruffy (12-1-0) delivered a stunning spinning heel kick to King Green’s (32-17-1) temple, securing a brutal knockout just 2:07 into the first round of their lightweight bout.
Following Ruffy’s knockout, and before the women’s fight, a tribute video for Robbie Lawler played, honoring the former welterweight champion. Lawler, who was at cageside, received a standing ovation as it was announced he would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Modern Wing as part of the Class of 2025. The induction ceremony will take place during the 13th Annual UFC International Fight Week on June 26.
“Robbie was an absolute killer, and I have a ton of respect for his toughness and his fighting style, which helped grow the sport of MMA and UFC by attracting a lot of new fans,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement.