Magomed Ankalaev dethroned Alex Pereira to become the UFC light heavyweight champion after securing a unanimous decision victory at UFC 313 on Saturday, handing Pereira his first loss in the weight class.
Russia's Ankalaev, unbeaten since March 2018, outwitted former kickboxing champion Pereira on the feet with forward pressure and tight knees to the body, and left the Brazilian exhausted after pinning him to the fence and forcing him to grapple.
"I can't even put it into words. It has been such a long wait. Here's my dream and it's on my waist," Ankalaev said after finally winning the championship belt, having fought Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in his first UFC title bout in December 2022.
Pereira, who won his last four fights by knockout, repeatedly kicked Ankalaev's lead leg early on in the fight. But Ankalaev fought back in the second round, landing a left hand and leaving Pereira on shaky legs just seconds before the bell.
Ankalaev kept up the pressure in the next round, landing knees from close range as Pereira fought off his takedown attempts. The superior grappling of Ankalaev helped him pin Pereira to the fence and drain his energy in the fourth round.
As Pereira's coaches urged him to fight back, he marched Ankalaev down in the final round and landed a head kick. But it was not enough to sway the judges as the former middleweight champion suffered the third loss of his professional mixed martial arts career.
"The plan was to pressure, pressure, pressure. Everyone who fights him tries to counter him, but I wanted to make sure I fight as the No 1," Ankalaev said.
Pereira said he knew he would face a war, but Ankalaev did not do much damage to him.
"I'm going to keep training. I feel good, I don't think I'm hurt or anything. I'll take a few days off and get back into it, this is my life," Pereira said.