On UFC 313 night, the light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev ended in disappointment for Pereira and his fans. After five rounds, Ankalaev defeated Pereira by making a unanimous decision to become the new champion.
As a kickboxer, Pereira tried to pressure his opponent’s lead leg with his kicks in the first round, as he often does, while both fighters were looking for openings with their punches. Ankalaev, much more confident and forward moving in the second round, landed several sharp punches throughout and managed to wobble Pereira toward the cage near the end of the round. The third round was more competitive, with both fighters performing at a similar level. There were no major moments, and both fighters had small actions. Pereira returned to his low kicks, while Ankalaev continued to focus on his punches, landing a few solid strikes but also missing a couple of big ones.
Despite the predictions before the fight, which anticipated that Ankalaev, a grappling-based fighter, would likely take the fight to the ground, the new champion proved himself to be a complete fighter, choosing to stand and trade with his opponent.
After his victory, Ankalaev expressed his readiness to face any opponents in the future.
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