Alex Pereira Prepares for UFC 313 Title Defense Against Magomed Ankalaev

The light heavyweight champion faces his toughest challenge yet against the well-rounded Dagestani fighter on Saturday.

Alex Pereira, known for his elite striking, will defend his light heavyweight title at UFC 313 against Magomed Ankalaev, a top-ranked contender with strong wrestling skills.
Pereira has been improving his takedown defense and grappling, training with Olympic wrestler Geovanis Palacious ahead of the fight to counter Ankalaev's ground game.
Ankalaev, a former Sambo world champion, has stated his intention to dominate Pereira, leveraging his balanced skill set and wrestling advantage.
Tensions escalated during the pre-fight press conference, with Ankalaev making a personal remark about Pereira’s past struggles, adding fuel to an already intense matchup.
This fight holds significant stakes for both fighters—Pereira aims to solidify his legacy with another title defense, while Ankalaev seeks to claim the light heavyweight throne and hand Pereira his first loss at 205 lbs.