UFC 313: Live results and analysis for Pereira vs. Ankalaev
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira puts his title on the line against first-time challenger Magomed Ankalaev in the main event at UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Pereira, ESPN’s No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, made three title defenses in 2024. Ankalaev enters the fight riding a 13-fight winning streak. His lone UFC loss was in his promotional debut in May 2018.
In the main event, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev clash in a rematch of their closely contested March 2023 fight. Gaethje won that fight by majority decision. Fiziez, who is returning from injury, took this fight on short notice after Gaethje’s original opponent, Dan Hooker, withdrew due to a hand injury.
Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim break down all the action from UFC 313.
Dan Hooker underwent surgery on his left hand after withdrawing from Saturday’s co-main event lightweight fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313.
Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) withdrew from the fight last month, disclosing a fractured hand in a video with his daughter posted on YouTube. He said the injury occurred when he hit the “top of the dome” of his sparring partner with his knuckle.
Hooker took to social media again on Monday, sharing a picture on Instagram from a hospital bed with his surgically repaired hand.
The 35-year-old Hooker last fought in August, beating Mateusz Gamrot in Australia to extend his winning streak to three fights. However, he will not get to face Gaethje (25-5, 8-5) on Saturday, with Rafael Fiziev (12-3, 6-3) stepping in.
It is a rematch of a fight Gaethje won by majority decision at UFC 286. It will also mark Gaethje’s first return to the Octagon since the 36-year-old was knocked out by Max Holloway in the fifth round at UFC 300 in Las Vegas.
ESPN
EDITOR’S PICKS
Fiziev stepping in to face Gaethje on short notice
1dAndreas Hale
UFC 313: Card subject to change — is it worth taking a fight on short notice?
1dAndreas Hale
How to Watch UFC 313 Pereira vs. Ankalaev: PPV on ESPN+, time, full fight card
A UFC title is on the line tonight.
Big UFC events like this only happen occasionally, and they feature main event-level matchups throughout the entire evening’s fight card. Tonight, though, there is only one title fight, where Alex Pereira will make his first octagon appearance of 2025 and defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira won his last four fights by knockout, and tonight, he’ll go up against Ankalaev, who has an undefeated streak dating back to September 2018 (13 fights).
Below, we’ve outlined the various ways to purchase the pay-per-view for UFC 313, along with some other info about the fight night.
UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev is tonight, March 8. The preliminary fight card begins at 8:00 p.m. ET, while the main event card and title fights will begin at 10:00 p.m. ET.
UFC 313 is airing exclusively as a pay-per-view event on ESPN+, so you’ll need both an active ESPN+ subscription and the PPV. The PPV for UFC 313 costs $79.99.
ESPN+ is $11.99/month or $119.99/year; new subscribers who are signing up for UFC 313 will pay either $91.98 (monthly subscription) or $199.98 (annual subscription) today for the PPV plus either one month or one year of ESPN+, respectively.
You can also purchase the UFC 300 PPV by subscribing to the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ Bundle, which gives you access to three streaming services starting at $16.99/month.
If you choose this subscription option, you’ll get access to all three services individually; after signing up, you’ll then have to sign into your ESPN+ account to purchase the PPV for $79.99.
Unfortunately, no. Since the Pereira vs. Ankalaev fight is part of a PPV package, you’ll have to buy the PPV to tune in.
UFC 313 will stream live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews
UFC 313 date and time: When is UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev?
How to watch UFC 313 live:
Can I watch UFC 313 for free?
UFC 313 fight card:
Where is UFC 313?
MORE STORIES
Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle options:
Preliminary Card – begins at 8:00 p.m. ET
Main Fight Card – begins at 10:00 p.m. ET
Unlock full access to Post sports columnists and newsletters
PAGE SIX
NYPOST
RECOMMENDED
LeBron James has absolutely no leg to stand on in selfish beef with Stephen A. Smith
Knicks are living the life after ‘The Innocent Climb’ — welcome to something else
Islanders icon tells The Post what it was like to live the real ‘Miracle’ — and what the movie could’ve done better
SPORTS PODCASTS
Meghan Markle’s crew member describes what it was like working on Netflix show: ‘Everyone has their own version of her’
‘Massive’ wildfires erupt on Long Island, sparking state of emergency and evacuations as flames threaten homes
Stephen A. Smith blasts ‘fool’ Charles Barkley after his Kendrick Perkins-ESPN rip job
Dave Portnoy criticizes Stephen A. Smith for treating LeBron James with ‘kid gloves’ after Bronny confrontation
Driver accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, his brother says state hid alleged intoxication
Ben Cleveland’s estranged wife shares cryptic lyrics in post after cheating accusations in divorce docs
Bruins send Brad Marchand to Panthers as teardown officially begins at NHL trade deadline
Chiefs’ star receiver Xavier Worthy arrested, charged with assault
LeBron James scolds ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in stunning scene after Lakers game
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole ‘concerned’ about possibly needing elbow surgery: ‘Alarming’
Up in the Blue Seats – Rangers
The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman
Blue Rush: NY Giants Football Podcast
Gang’s All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast
NY Got Game: Basketball
Pinstripe Post – Yankees
Against the Cage – Combat Sports
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev start time, full fight card and how to watch on TV and online tonight
Alex Pereira defends the light-heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev in Las Vegas
UFC 313 will culminate in a long-awaited title fight this weekend, as Alex Pereira defends the light-heavyweight belt against Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira, a former middleweight champion, has been dominant since moving up to 205lb, winning the belt with a knockout of Jiri Prochazka in 2023 and retaining the gold against the Czech, Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree – all via stoppage in 2024.
Some have long thought, however, that Ankalaev could be the man to dethrone the Brazilian, and the Russian is finally in position to challenge Pereira. While Ankalaev is not the typical Dagestani fighter – that is to say: an out-and-out wrestler – he will have a grappling advantage over Pereira in Las Vegas.
Could that prove “Poatan”’s kryptonite, or will the champion score another trademark KO? We will find out in the main event of UFC 313, after the co-main event sees Justin Gaethje rematch Rafael Fiziev, two years after Gaethje won their razor-close first bout.
Fiziev steps in for Dan Hooker on one week’s notice, after a hand fracture ruled Hooker out of his highly-anticipated clash with Gaethje. Here’s all you need to know.
When is UFC 313?
UFC 313 will take place on Saturday 8 March at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims will start at 11pm GMT (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 9 March (5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am GMT on Sunday (7pm PT / 9pm CT / 10pm ET on Saturday).
How can I watch it?
UFC 313 will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. Discovery+ will also air the action in the UK. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the event live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.
Odds
Pereira – 5/6; Ankalaev – 20/21
Gaethje – 6/5; Fiziev – 4/6
Via Betway. Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers. The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.
Full card (subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion)
Main card
Alex Pereira (C) vs Magomed Ankalaev (light-heavyweight title)
Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev 2 (lightweight)
Jalin Turner vs Ignacio Bahamondes (lightweight)
Amanda Lemos vs Iasmin Lucindo (women’s strawweight)
King Green vs Mauricio Ruffy (lightweight)
Prelims
Joshua Van vs Rei Tsuruya (flyweight)
Brunno Ferreira vs Armen Petrosyan (middleweight)
Alex Morono vs Carlos Leal (welterweight)
Early prelims
Mairon Santos vs Francis Marshall (featherweight)
Djorden Santos vs Ozzy Diaz (middleweight)
N.B. Cancelled today: Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev; Chris Gutierrez vs John Castaneda
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
