“Everyone is saying, ‘Chama! Chama! Chama!’ But guess what? Chama time is over.” Magomed Ankalaev confidently declared at the UFC 313 pre-fight press conference. And guess what? He fulfilled his prophecy. The fight community is now witnessing critics backpedaling after Ankalaev’s emphatic victory over Alex Pereira to claim the light heavyweight title. The Dagestani phenom silenced his haters in dominant fashion—not only defeating Pereira but doing so during Ramadan, making his achievement even more impressive. Despite his skills, many legends including Michael Bisping, underestimated Ankalaev, believing Pereira was too dangerous.

And it was understandable—’Poatan’ had defended his title three times under 175 days and was widely expected to register a fourth. From Israel Adesanya to Robert Whittaker, the consensus among UFC elites was that Pereira would once again reign supreme. However, Ankalaev proved to be the Brazilian’s Achilles’ heel. Moreover, Ankalaev didn’t hold back after claiming the gold. He posted a compilation video of UFC veterans on X who had picked Pereira to win, tagging them with the message:

“@stylebender @USMAN84kg @alexvolkanovski @BlessedMMA @robwhittakermma @bisping @HenryCejudo, Sorry guys, I disappointed you.” One of the most notable names on that list was the aforementioned Bisping, who had previously praised Pereira’s left hook and striking prowess. Now, the former middleweight champ had no choice but to acknowledge Ankalaev’s dominance, responding on X:

“Haha, you proved me wrong champ. Congrats!”

The tables have turned for Ankalaev, who now reigns as the new light heavyweight champion. And he’s not holding back against his critics. Wasting no time, he took to social media with a self-congratulatory message, firing shots at his doubters: “Who got power now? Thank you for all my haters, you motivate me.”

Despite failing to secure a single takedown in 12 attempts, Ankalaev’s relentless pressure on the feet kept ‘Poatan’ on edge. Pereira’s takedown defense was flawless, but he remained hesitant, wary of Ankalaev’s power. As a result, Pereira was on the backfoot while the threat of ground-and-pound loomed in the background. In the end, the champ’s calculated approach paid off, and he made sure to revel in his role as the antagonist of this story, posting: “NO CHAMA.”

Although Pereira still has the resume to remain one of the UFC’s biggest stars, his loss hit hard for some. This includes Michael Bisping, who didn’t miss the chance to critique the former champion.

Michael Bisping lashes out at Alex Pereira’s outing at UFC 313

At the UFC 313 post-fight press conference, Dana White summed up what many MMA fans and veterans were feeling with a solemn remark: “It was not what I expected.” With the judges’ scorecards reading 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 in favor of Magomed Ankalaev, history was made. The Dagestani powerhouse became only the third fighter from his region—after Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev—to wear UFC gold.

Michael Bisping, never one to mince words, was particularly harsh in his assessment of Alex Pereira’s performance, labeling it lazy and questioning whether the former champ even had the drive to win. “I didn’t see that real desire to want to win. Ankalaev was big, strong, and skilled enough to compete on the feet, and of course, he had the takedown threat. Even though he didn’t get the takedown, the threat of it was there,” Bisping remarked. He ended with a blunt statement: “You don’t win a fight by defending takedowns.”

And maybe he had a point. Though Pereira has cemented his legacy in the UFC in just four years, his focus in recent times seemed to wane. Last month, instead of being fully locked in for his title defense, he was busy cornering his former rival-turned-friend Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in Australia. This didn’t go unnoticed.

UFC veterans like Daniel Cormier had already raised concerns, warning that Pereira might be underestimating Ankalaev. On the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, Cormier pointed out: “But what is Pereira still doing in Australia? He fights in two weeks! Ankalaev’s already here, he’s in Vegas, I ran into him at the UFC PI last week. He is honestly so locked in, ready to win this fight against Alex Pereira.”

All this—while his own title fight was just two weeks away. So, did Pereira overlook the challenge ahead? If so, he’s now paying the price. But with such a close fight, the door is wide open for a rematch between the two light heavyweight kings. Will Dana White confirm it soon? Drop your thoughts below!