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Andreas HaleMar 9, 2025, 01:04 AM ET
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- Andreas Hale is a struggle sports activities reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and professional wrestling. In Andreas’ unfastened time, he performs video video games, obsesses over track and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He’s additionally a bunch for Sirius XM’s Struggle Country. Earlier than becoming a member of ESPN, Andreas was once a senior author at DAZN and Carrying Information. He began his occupation as a track journalist for shops together with HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z’s Lifestyles+Occasions. He’s additionally an NAACP Symbol Award-nominated filmmaker as a manufacturer for the animated quick movie “Bridges” in 2024.
LAS VEGAS — Magomed Ankalaev entered the Octagon as public enemy No. 1 to fan favourite Alex Pereira and left as the brand new UFC mild heavyweight champion Saturday evening in the principle tournament of UFC 313.
Ankalaev beat “Poatan” to the punch within the first part of the combat and smothered his offense with clinch paintings in the second one part. His stifling efficiency put a disappointing finish to Pereira’s ancient mild heavyweight identify run, sucking the air out of T-Cellular Enviornment in a unanimous determination: Two judges scored it 48-47 and a 3rd pass judgement on had it 49-46.
“I do not believe the rest stunned me,” Ankalaev stated. “I feel I may have completed a greater process within the combat, however one thing simply wasn’t understanding. However anyway, I am actually glad that I received.”
UFC president Dana White stated later on that a direct rematch will “almost certainly” occur.
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Pereira (14-3), who rose to stardom during the last 12 months and a part, had an opportunity to make historical past by way of turning into the primary UFC fighter to effectively win a identify combat 5 occasions in not up to 500 days. He did not get the rest going, alternatively, as Ankalaev (20-1-1) compelled him to combat off his again foot for far of the bout. The force avoided Pereira from uncorking his signature left hook and was once relegated to searching for counter alternatives, which Ankalaev by no means gave him.
Pereira intentionally focused Ankalaev’s legs with calf kicks within the opening spherical, hoping to compromise the challenger’s mobility. It was once a cast get started as 11 of 14 leg kicks landed, however Ankalaev stayed at the entrance foot.
Ankalaev shifted the momentum in the second one spherical as he unusually beat Pereira to the punch. A left hand surprised Pereira halfway throughout the spherical and a proper hand rocked him within the ultimate seconds.
Because the combat wore on and Pereira fell in the back of at the scorecards, Ankalaev shifted to crowding the champion with clinch paintings and using the takedown risk to push Pereira towards the cage fence and put on him down. The method labored, and Pereira seemed undecided within the nook prior to Spherical 5.
Magomed Ankalaev scored a unanimous determination over Alex Pereira in spite of going 0-for-12 on takedown makes an attempt. Photograph by way of Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“We all know that he places other people towards the fence, and he performs that sport, however giving him the win with a sport plan like that, it roughly incentivizes other people to do this towards other people,” Pereira stated in his postfight interview within the Octagon. “Other people would possibly say it is a humdrum taste, but if a man will get a win doing that, it roughly makes other people need to do this, too.”
The manner was once greater than efficient, alternatively, and by way of the overall spherical, Ankalaev seemed headed for victory. Ankalaev performed it protected by way of staying out of vary of any important punishment from a determined Pereira. When Pereira after all landed the left hand, it did not have a lot on it. The punch introduced the gang to its toes, however Ankalaev right away swarmed in, clinched and stymied any momentum swing as the overall seconds ticked off.
In his postfight information convention, Ankalaev disputed Pereira’s overview of the combat, announcing he was once the transparent aggressor.
“I stored on transferring ahead, I stored on pressuring him, and he stored on working clear of me,” Ankalaev stated. “For 20 mins, this man was once working clear of me. I heard on the finish of the combat, he was once announcing that he wasn’t certain why the victory was once given to me. Who is meant to be given the victory? I have been pressuring him all the time, he was once working away for 20 mins after which he is questioning who is meant to get the victory.
“Concentrate, I am glad for a rematch if he desires a rematch, however then perhaps within the rematch, he may just combat for actual and no longer simply run away all the time.”
Pereira landed extra general moves than Ankalaev (108-102), however 48 of the ones moves had been leg kicks, which did not impact the combat. Although Ankalaev was once 0-for-12 on takedown makes an attempt, his keep watch over time of five mins, 42 seconds was once the variation within the combat.
Ankalaev’s win ended a ancient reign from Pereira. The Brazilian received the sunshine heavyweight identify in November 2023 and defended it thrice in 2024 as he all of a sudden ascended to stardom with each and every knockout win extra spectacular than the final.
Then again, Ankalaev was once all the time probably the most bad risk to Pereira, having long gone unbeaten within the Octagon since losing his UFC debut in 2018. Once they after all were given within the Octagon, Ankalaev confirmed why he’s referred to as “The Boogeyman” of the 205-pound department.
Ankalaev extends his unbeaten streak at mild heavyweight to fourteen, 2d in UFC historical past to Jon Jones.
Even though the gang booed the outcome, it was once transparent there was once a brand new chief of the sunshine heavyweights.
