Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 | Preview & Prediction
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We have an absolute blockbuster of a main event at UFC 313 as Alex Pereira returns to action and he faces the incredibly dangerous Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev Facts
When is UFC 313? UK – the extra preliminary card starts at 12:00am on Sunday 9th March 2025, followed by the preliminary card at 1:00am and the main card at 3:00am / USA – 7:00pm/8:00pm/10:00pm ET (Saturday) and 4:00pm/5:00pm/7:00pm PT (Saturday)
Where is UFC 313? T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 313? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 313
What TV channel is UFC 313 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 313? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC 313 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
What time are Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev expected to walk out? 5:30am UK / 12:30am US ET / Saturday 8th March, 9:30pm US PT
UFC 313 Main Card
Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev (Light Heavyweight)
Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev (Lightweight)
Jalin Turner vs Ignacio Bahamondes (Lightweight)
Amanda Lemos vs Iasmin Lucindo (Women’s Strawweight)
King Green vs Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)
UFC 313 Prelims
Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev (Heavyweight)
Joshua Van vs Rei Tsuruya (Flyweight)
Brunno Ferreira vs Armen Petrosyan (Middleweight)
Alex Morono vs Carlos Leal (Welterweight)
Mairon Santos vs Francis Marshall (Featherweight)
Chris Gutierrez vs John Castaneda (Bantamweight)
Djorden Ribeiro dos Santos vs Osman Diaz (Middleweight)
Alex Pereira: Poatan aiming to consolidate position as one of the top P4P fighters
Alex Pereira (12-2) returns to action after a busy 2024 for his first title defence of the year. After defending his belt an incredible three times last year, the Brazilian superstar has enjoyed a lengthy rest by his standards and he is ready to get back into the Octagon. He last fought in October when he TKO’d Khalil Rountree Jr and that was his fourth consecutive knockout. As is always the case, there is plenty of talk about who is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. This fight provides Pereira yet another golden opportunity to stake his claim to that title.
Magomed Ankalaev: Dagestani star bidding to cause upset
Magomed Ankalaev (20-1-1 with one no contest) is widely regarded as the most dangerous opponent that Alex Pereira could face and now the talented Russian gets his shot. The Russian has lost just one fight and that remarkably came on his UFC as he was submitted by Paul Craig. Prior to that, and ever since, he has been on an absolute tear and has justifiably earned this title shot for the light heavyweight title.
Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev Prediction
Alex Pereira is one of the most popular champions in UFC history and that is largely because of his activity as a champion and because he is as entertaining a fighter as there is.
There has been some concern expressed about Pereira's recent schedule as he has been travelling a lot and coaching other fighters. It will be interesting to see how this fight plays out and when whether any of those concerns are justified.
There is nothing conventional about Pereira however and it would be foolish to pay too much attention to a lot of the chat around this fight. He's clearly one of the best fighters in the world right now, and it will take an unbelievable performance to beat him.
The big question is whether Magomed Ankalaev is the man. The Dagestani star is incredibly well-rounded and possesses threats with a striking along with this outstanding wrestling. It will be fascinating to see if he can take the Brazilian champion down repeatedly over the course of the fight.
If we consider the route to victory for both fighters, it is clearly Pereira's knockout power which offers him the best chance of winning this fight. For Ankalaev, He also possesses good power but he also has that elite wrestling that is so common among the Dagestani fighters that will allow him to control and dominate the fight. If he can stay out of Pereira's range, and mix his good striking, leg kicks, and get several takedowns, He can cause the champion all kinds of problems.
For those reasons, we just favour Ankalaev to win this fight and become the new light heavyweight champion of the UFC.
Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev to win to KO/TKO or points
