Magomed Ankalaev Promises Alex Pereira Won’t Be the Same
Ankalaev defeated Pereira for the light heavyweight title at UFC 313, then Pereira answered with a first-round finish in their rematch at UFC 320.
What happened at UFC 313
Pereira entered UFC 313 on March 8, 2025, as the reigning champion, with the five-round main event held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ankalaev took a tactical, measured approach over 25 minutes, and the judges awarded him a unanimous decision. UFC’s published scorecards show margins of 49–46, 48–47 and 48–47. The victory made Ankalaev the light heavyweight champion and ended Pereira’s first run with the belt.
This was not a knockout or a one-sided blowout: it was a close championship decision, with one judge scoring the fight wider than the other two. UFC’s official UFC 313 scorecards list the round-by-round totals, while the UFC event page records the title bout and result.
A rivalry settled by two very different finishes
Ankalaev managed the first contest across five rounds and left with the championship. For Pereira, the loss interrupted a rapid rise through the UFC divisions; it also created a direct sporting reason for a rematch..
The rematch came at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025, again at T-Mobile Arena. Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title by stopping Ankalaev with strikes at 1:20 of the first round. The official UFC 320 scorecards and results document the finish. In seven months, the series moved from a five-round decision to a rapid stoppage, leaving each man with a decisive win over the other.
That contrast gives the matchup its lasting intrigue. UFC 313 showed Ankalaev could beat Pereira over championship distance and take his belt. UFC 320 showed Pereira could reverse the outcome quickly in a second meeting. Neither result erases the other, and the two fights offer a better account of their rivalry than predictions made before the first bell.
The championship exchange
In sporting terms, Ankalaev’s prediction of a difficult challenge came true at UFC 313: he won the title after five rounds. Pereira’s response came in the cage months later, where he needed just 80 seconds to finish the rematch. For readers looking back at the build-up, the cleanest takeaway is simple: UFC 313 began a two-fight championship exchange, and UFC 320 supplied the emphatic second chapter.
Sources: UFC 313 event results; UFC 313 official scorecards; UFC 320 official scorecards.
