Ankalaev Rewrites the Script, Claims UFC Light Heavyweight Throne from Pereira

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Magomed Ankalaev turned the UFC light heavyweight division on its head, outclassing Alex Pereira to seize the title via unanimous decision at UFC 313 on Saturday, March 8, in Las Vegas. The Russian, who hasn’t tasted defeat since March 2018, flipped the script on Pereira’s knockout narrative, using a chess-like approach—smothering pressure, body-targeting knees, and cage-pinning grappling—to sap the Brazilian’s strength over five rounds. Pereira, a former kickboxing maestro undefeated at 205 pounds until now, found himself out of answers, handing Ankalaev the belt and a historic upset.

The Dawn of a Tactical Titan

Ankalaev orchestrated from start to finish. At T-Mobile Arena, he turned Pereira’s power into a liability, draining the champ with a relentless grind that left the crowd rethinking the division’s pecking order. The Russian’s blend of striking smarts and grappling control wasn’t flashy, but it was brutally effective, marking Pereira’s first stumble in the weight class. As the judges’ scores confirmed Ankalaev’s dominance, the light heavyweight landscape shifted—here’s a champion who wins with brains as much as brawn, setting the stage for a reign that could redefine what it means to rule at 205.