One of the biggest attractions of the year is the highly anticipated clash between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. At UFC 313, the two powerhouses will collide to settle their rivalry once and for all. Walking into the fight, the champion is running high on confidence after he defended his title three times in the year 2024. However, his opponent this time is a man who has been waiting to lay his hands on him for a long time now.

Ankalaev has been steam rolling his opponents in the division and is boasting a 13-fight unbeaten streak in the division. Moreover, he believes that he is the man to dethrone ‘Poatan’. Both fighters have a very different fighting style, which makes the fight even more interesting. But what about the other factors? Who holds the advantage there? Let us find out about it below.

Pereira vs. Ankalaev height and reach comparison

One of the most critical aspects of this matchup is the comparison of their physical attributes, particularly height and reach. Alex Pereira’s stature has been a cornerstone of his striking dominance. His reach advantage allows him to maintain distance, effectively utilizing his kickboxing background to deliver powerful strikes while minimizing exposure to counterattacks. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall, ‘Poatan’ has a reach of 79 inches. Adding to that, reach ‘Poatan’ has the power which allows him to dominate his opponents.

 

On the other hand, Magomed Ankalaev stands at 6 feet 3 inches tall and has a reach of  75 inches. Though slightly shorter, the Russian fighter is renowned for his versatility. His reach, while less than Pereira’s, is complemented by his ability to close distances swiftly, integrating striking with grappling to neutralize opponents’ advantages. The four-inch reach advantage favors Pereira in striking exchanges, enabling him to dictate the fight’s range. However, the 32-year-old may counter this by employing strategies to close the distance, leveraging his grappling skills to bring the fight to the clinch or ground, areas where reach is less pivotal.

Both fighters’ ability to adapt their strategies to these physical attributes will be crucial. Alex Pereira’s challenge lies in maintaining his preferred range, while Magomed Ankalaev must navigate the reach disparity to implement his multifaceted approach. There’s one more factor which will be a deciding factor—the weight these fighters will be cutting. The Brazilian is known to be a massive unit and cuts a lot of weight before his fights. As for Ankalaev, despite being an absolute unit, he does make weight very successfully. But is there any considerable weight advantage which might help any of the fighters? Let us find out about it below.

Who weighs more, Alex Pereira or Magomed Ankalaev?

One of the key reasons Alex Pereira moved up to the light heavyweight division was the brutal toll of cutting down to 185 pounds. The weight cut had become increasingly grueling for Pereira, pushing his body to its limits and making the move up to 205 pounds a necessary decision rather than just a strategic one. During an interview with Ariel Helwani last year, ‘Poatan’ said, “I weighed around 103 kgs, approximately 224-225 lbs [on his 205 lbs debut fight].”

Though there’s no official confirmation, reports suggest that Alex Pereira walks around at roughly 230 pounds. This means that during his middleweight days, he had to endure a brutal weight cut of over 50 pounds to make the 185-pound limit. Even as a light heavyweight, he still faces a significant cut, shedding around 30 pounds to hit the 205-pound mark.

Magomed Ankalaev has been pretty consistent in making weight for fights, and most recently he successfully cut down to the light heavyweight limit, weighing 204.5 lbs. As for Magomed Ankalaev, he has stated that his usual walkaround weight is around 100 kilograms (220 pounds), giving insight into the size he typically maintains outside of fight camp. “I have a working weight of about 100 kilograms” said the Russian fighter during one of his interviews.

So by comparing both these fighters there’s nothing to choose between them in this aspect as well. It seems the battle will be decided mainly on the skill level on March 8th as there’s hardly a difference in their physical attributes. Who do you think will win between the two at UFC 313? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.