Last weekend at the UFC 313 tournament in Las Vegas, Russian fighter Magomed Ankalaev defeated Brazilian Alex Pereira, winning the light heavyweight championship belt (up to 93 kg), Sports.ru reports.
The main fight of the evening lasted all five rounds. Ankalaev, who occupied the first line in the division rankings, demonstrated excellent tactical preparation, regularly achieving control in the clinch. The most dangerous moment for the champion came at the end of the second round, when the Russian shook Pereira with a powerful blow, but the Brazilian managed to hold out.
Despite Ankalaev’s dominance in the clinch, Pereira demonstrated excellent takedown defense, repelling all ten of his opponent’s attempts to take the fight to the ground.
Following the results of the fight, all three judges gave the victory to the Russian fighter (49:46, 48:47, 48:47). Thus, Magomed Ankalaev became the new UFC light heavyweight champion, replacing Alex Pereira on the throne.
