UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira clarifies that he was never ducking Magomed Ankalaev. Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) has been heavily campaigning to fight Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), but was passed up for a title fight on several occasions.

Undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will return to action at UFC 313 when he takes on Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev on March 8.

Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC) is ranked No. 1 in the UFC's official light heavyweight rankings. He's undefeated in his last 13 UFC fights and most recently defeated Aleksandar Rakic. Ankalaev previously fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title in 2022, which ended in a split draw.

Magomed Ankalaev promises to punish Alex Pereira in the UFC 313 main event, setting the stage for an intense showdown in the Octagon.

Alex Pereira will make his fourth UFC light heavyweight title defence against No. 1 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, live on TNT Sports.

After a historic 2024 campaign, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has his first assignment of the new year. Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will attempt to make a fourth consecutive defense of his belt when he takes on streaking contender Magomed Ankalaev

UFC has officially announced that reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will defend his title against top-ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313. The event is scheduled for March 8, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Starting with the challenger, Ankalaev is getting his second crack at the light heavyweight title. His first shot came in December 2022 when he fought Jan Blachowicz to a draw. Ankalaev hasn’t lost since 2018 when he was submitted in the final seconds against Paul Craig.