At UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev showcased tactical brilliance to dethrone Alex Pereira and claim the UFC light heavyweight title. The unanimous decision victory, with judges scoring the bout 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 in Ankalaev’s favor, highlighted his strategic prowess and adaptability inside the Octagon. Known for his devastating knockout power and elite striking, Pereira was the favorite. But Ankalaev had other plans. From the opening bell, Ankalaev showcased his well-rounded skill set, using his wrestling and striking to keep Pereira off balance.

For the first time in his career, the Brazilian looked a bit out of place. A man who is known to dominate his opponents right from the start was nearly knocked out in the fight. Pereira has been recently caught up in a lot of travelling and other activities which might have hindered his performance. Many felt he was not preparing for the fight the way he should be doing, which was even pointed out by Ankalaev during one of his X posts. Could this have been the case? Well, Joe Rogan didn’t quite feel so. Rather, the UFC color commentator felt it was the skill set of the Dagestani fighter which caused a lot of trouble.

After the fight, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier analyzed the fight. It seems both of them were highly impressed by Ankalaev and the way he maintained a constant pressure on the champion. He used a mix of striking and wrestling, which kept the champion guessing. Rogan said, “Really an impressive performance by Ankalaev. We saw ‘Poatan’ fight in what you know up till now was an uncharacteristic position being backing up and avoiding shorts. Pereira had a hard time fighting on the back foot”. Cormier also added, “He was the one that controlled Poatan… There was a lot of emotion watching the fight”. 

For a long period of time both these fighters have been waiting to take on each other inside the Octagon. The 32-year-old had to work really hard to get himself a title shot against the Brazilian. While he might have won the fight, there have been a lot of questions about the way the fight has been scored. ‘Poatan’ during the post-fight interview said, “I knew it would be a war. Every fight of mine is a war. He put some pressure in the second round, I felt some of his strikes. But putting me up against the cage, he didn’t really do anything.” But it seems former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t quite worried about the controversy. Rather he is happy for the new light heavyweight champion.

Khabib Nurmagomedov praises Magomed Ankalaev for his UFC 313 victory

From the opening round, Ankalaev’s game plan was clear—avoid Pereira’s devastating left hand while dictating the pace of the fight. He stayed patient, using feints and crisp counterstrikes to disrupt Pereira’s rhythm. While Pereira had his moments, landing a few sharp shots, Ankalaev remained composed and methodically chipped away at the champion. The real turning point came when Ankalaev started using his grappling skills. Known for his dominant grappling, the Dagestani fighter imposed his will. Although he failed to take down the Brazilian, the constant pressure led to a much tired ‘Poatan’ leading into the championship rounds.

With this win, Magomed Ankalaev has now backed his talks with actions. For a long time he made it clear that he had all the skillsets to dethrone the champion. His performance not only dethroned one of the UFC’s most dangerous strikers but also solidified his place among the best in the world. Even Khabib Nurmagomedov is impressed with the new champion and tweeted,  “Congratulations Brother @AnkalaevM you made a history 👏 it was amazing performance against very tough opponent.” For Alex Pereira, this will be a time to regroup himself back together and once again look to get back the belt which he once owned.

What do you think about Magomed Ankalaev’s performance at UFC 313? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.