Pereira Loses UFC Title to Ankalaev
Alex Pereira lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025. The judges scored the five-round bout 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 for Ankalaev. UFC’s official scorecards confirm the result.
The title change had a direct effect on Pereira’s standing. Ankalaev became champion, and the UFC’s media-voted pound-for-pound list moved Pereira down after the loss. The rankings are editorial votes from media members, not a measure of a fighter’s skill in isolation. The UFC’s ranking coverage reported the change, while the current official rankings page shows how the organization maintains separate divisions and pound-for-pound lists.
Ankalaev’s approach centered on pressure and control. Pereira landed meaningful strikes, but Ankalaev mixed his forward movement with clinch work and takedown threats to reduce Pereira’s space. The result was a measured championship fight that went the full 25 minutes. A close decision on two cards and a wider margin on the third reflects different round-by-round assessments, but all three judges selected Ankalaev.
Before UFC 313, Pereira had defended the 205-pound belt multiple times and had become one of the promotion’s most visible champions. Losing the title ended that run and changed the rankings discussion immediately. Pereira’s ranking moved after his decision loss to the new champion.
Ankalaev’s victory also shifted the division’s match-making landscape. As champion, he became the central figure in title negotiations; Pereira’s path back depended on subsequent results and the UFC’s decisions about contenders. Rankings provide one guide to that process, but they do not guarantee a rematch or determine a title booking by themselves.
UFC 313 was held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev meeting in the co-main event. The official event page links to the fight results, interviews, and scorecards. For Pereira, the night was a setback in a historically successful UFC run; for Ankalaev, it was the championship breakthrough that propelled him into the division’s leading position.
