Don’t let the invincible aura of Alex Pereira cloud your judgment. His bout against Magomed Ankalaev is a battle of (nearly) equals. And that’s what has Dana White worried about his star attraction. At UFC 313, ‘Poatan’ is set to defend his light heavyweight crown against the Russian. This isn’t just another title defense. Stylistically, this is where Pereira can finally answer the questions about his grappling pedigree – but that’s not the only question Ankalaev will bring to the T-Mobile Arena.

During a recent interview with ESPN MMA on ‘First Take’, Dana White was asked to talk about just how lethal Alex Pereira is. White simply stated, “Yeah, I mean he’s one of the biggest stars in the sport right now, if not the biggest star in the sport.” But at UFC 313, all of that will be put to the test. According to the UFC head honcho, “What makes this weekend great is Ankalaev is a very serious threat to him. This is probably the toughest fight he’s ever had. You know his team always talks about his takedown defense and that you know, the fans don’t really know how good it is.”

White hit the bullseye with this comment. Do yourself a favor. Go to the UFC’s official website and check their profiles. You’ll see that Ankalaev and Pereira and almost neck-to-neck in a lot of key areas. Pereira has a 63% striking accuracy against Ankalaev’s 53%. This also means Ankalaev lands less significant strikes than the former Glory two-weight champion. But here’s the catch – Pereira also absorbs more of those than Ankalaev. So, the challenger’s striking is nothing to sleep on. He’s only an inch shorter in height so he will not have to overextend with his strikes like Khalil Rountree Jr. did

Timing has kept Ankalaev and Pereira apart until now, but many in the MMA sphere believe this showdown was inevitable. Pereira thrives on chaos, he doesn’t just win fights; he annihilates opponents. But Ankalaev brings a different kind of danger, one that can drag ‘Poatan’ into deep waters.

But what if the Brazilian pulls off yet another highlight reel finish on the night? White further stated, “We’re going to find out how good it is this weekend. This is a tough fight for Alex. Alex comes out of this the way he comes out of every other fight, he might be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

Currently, ‘Poatan’ holds the no. 3 spot in the P4P (pound-for-pound) rankings. Ahead of him? Jon Jones holds the no. 2 spot and Islam Makhachev is at the top of the list. If Pereira wins at UFC 313, it may be hard to argue against him taking over the top spot as indicated by Dana White.

The stage is set. The stakes? Sky-high. But not everyone believes Alex Pereira will leave UFC 313 with gold still strapped around his waist!

Jamahal Hill believes ‘Poatan’ may not walk away with the belt at UFC 313 

Jamahal Hill knows what it’s like to stand at the top of the light heavyweight division. After all, he once held the very same belt Alex Pereira is now wearing. But as UFC 313 draws closer, ‘Sweet Dreams’ has made a bold prediction about the outcome of this highly anticipated matchup.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former champion warned, “Magomed’s striking is seriously being slept on here. I don’t believe that Pereira sits back and wants to fight out of the pocket. He wants to put the pressure on him and land good, hard shots on the outside. The problem with that is? Magomed is a counter striker.”

Ankalaev boasts a 55% KO/TKO rating in his UFC run so far, and as such Hill’s claims can’t be ignored. So will that be the difference maker in the fight? In a fight where both men carry knockout power, anything can happen.

But according to Hill, “I’m going to go with Magomed. I feel he has more tools to win. Obviously Alex has that one hit wonder. If he catches you, he can put you away, but I believe Magomed also has that. He has the speed, the patience to counter. ”

In the end, while Dana White sees a potential pound-for-pound king in ‘Poatan,’ Jamahal Hill isn’t convinced. Will Alex Pereira once again prove why he’s one of the most feared strikers in MMA? Or will Magomed Ankalaev’s grappling pedigree and counter-striking expose the champion’s weaknesses? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!