MAIN CARD RESULTS | UFC 313: PEREIRA VS ANKALAEV
There were changes to the UFC 313 fight card all the way up to the day of the event, and yet Saturday’s pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena was still an absolute spectacle that delivered as advertised.
Mauricio Ruffy opened the main card with a first-round spinning wheel kick finish that should establish him as the clubhouse leader in the Knockout of the Year race as Q1 draws to a close before Amanda Lemos wrestled a much needed win away from fellow Brazilian Iasmin Lucindo. In the battle of lanky lightweights in the middle of the five-fight slate, Ignacio Bahamondes kept his winning streak and finishing streak intact by submitting Jalin Turner, while Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev followed with another 15-minute battle where the American claimed victory.
And then in the main event, Magomed Ankalaev fought a tactical, measured bout to unseat Alex Pereira and claim the UFC light heavyweight title.
It was an incredible night of action inside the Octagon and we have the details on how things played out collected for you below.
Main event scheduled for five rounds. All other bouts scheduled for three rounds.
Magomed Ankalaev is your new UFC light heavyweight champion, earning a unanimous decision win to unseat Alex Pereira.
Pereira came out attacking low kicks as he often does, battering the lead leg of the challenger in the first as each man looked to find their range with punches. Ankalaev was much more confident and forward in the second, landing several sharp punches throughout the frame before wobbling “Poatan” along the fence just before the end of the round. The third was close and competitive, featuring no big moments and each man having small success, with Pereira getting back on the low kicks and Ankalaev staying punch-heavy, connecting a few times and just missing with a couple other heaters.
As we hit the championship rounds, Ankalaev opted to close the distance and clinch with conviction for the first time in the bout, leaning on Pereira along the fence, and continuing to bring the fight to the champion after they were separated, with Pereira showing signs of fatigue. In the fifth, Ankalaev opted to stay in space early and the champion had some success, connecting with a high kick that dazed the challenger and landing enough supplemental strikes to seemingly take the round.
The duo went the distance and when the scorecards were totalled, it was the challenger that emerged victorious, earning the nod on all three scorecards to dethrone the Brazilian finisher. Ankalaev has now won three straight and extended his unbeaten run to 14 with this victory.
This was a competitive bout between the top two talents in the division, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them run it back later in the year.
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards
The short-notice sequel between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev played out somewhat similar to their first encounter in London, with Fiziev starting well and Gaethje finding more success in the back half of the 15-minute battle.
Fiziev threw a curveball to start, dumping Gaethje to the canvas twice in the early stages of the first before getting the better of the striking exchanges, making excellent use of the clinch and working to the body. Gaethje started working his way back into the fight in the second, scoring in the dirty boxing interactions and dropping “Ataman” with an uppercut in tight.
In the third, Fiziev started sharply off the stool, but couldn’t maintain, while Gaethje just remained steady, landing hard shots and largely dictating the terms of engagement down the stretch.
As they did at UFC 286, Gaethje and Fiziev went to the judges on Saturday night as well, and the final outcome was the same, with “The Highlight” collecting another decision win. Gaethje answered all the questions about his durability following last year’s knockout loss at UFC 300, cementing his place in the Top 5 and while continuing to be the most consistent all-action fighter in the sport.
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards
Ignacio Bahamondes collected the biggest win of his UFC career, punching his ticket to the Top 15 with a first-round submission win over Jalin Turner.
Expected to be a striking contest between two of the longest fighters in the lightweight division, Bahamondes initiated the clinch, but ended up on his back as the two men spilled to the canvas. It wasn’t an issue though, as the Valle Flow Striking standout quickly worked back to full guard and then attacked a triangle choke, shifting his angle to sink the hold in deeper and draw out the tap.
That’s now three straight wins, three straight finishes, and victories in six of seven for the ascending 27-year-old. Welterweight champ Belal Muhammad called “Nacho” the best striker in the UFC, but he showed on Saturday that he’s got slick skills on the ground too.
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards
In the all-Brazilian battle between former title challenger Amanda Lemos and rising prospect Iasmin Lucindo, it was the veteran that emerged victorious.
The 23-year-old Lucindo, who entered on a four-fight winning streak, seemed tentative to strike with Lemos early and was too content to be stapled to the canvas when her compatriot put her on the ground in each of the first two rounds, failing to land a significant strike in the opening round. She was more aggressive out of the corner to start the third, taking Lemos down and advancing positions, but the savvy veteran was able to keep herself, sweep, and spend the final 90 seconds in top position.
This one was a grind, one where experience and knowing how to win a fight was at the fore, with Lemos earning the unanimous decision victory. It’s a solid rebound win for the Top 5 strawweight, and should be a giant learning opportunity for the still promising Lucindo.
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards
Caio Borralho has always called Mauricio Ruffy the most talented member of the Fighting Nerds. He opened up Saturday’s UFC 313 by showing why.
Moments after tagging King Green with a right hand that got the veteran’s attention, Ruffy feinted a lead hook and then rotated, landing a spinning wheel kick to the side of the head, knocking him out cold.
This was an absolutely tremendous performance, acing the toughest test of his career in spectacular fashion. Ruffy is now 3-0 in the UFC with a pair of finishes, and is on the cusp of joining his teammates Borralho, Carlos Prates, and Jean Silva in the rankings.
What a finish, and what a run the Fighting Nerds are on right now.
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards
Don’t miss a moment of UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. Prelims start at 8pm ET/5pm PT, while the main card kicks off live on PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
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UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev Results
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Main Event: Magomed Ankalaev defeats Alex Pereira by decision unanimous (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Justin Gaethje defeats Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ignacio Bahamondes defeats Jalin Turner by submission (triangle choke) at 2:29 of Round 1
Amanda Lemos defeats Iasmin Lucindo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Mauricio Ruffy defeats King Green by KO (spinning wheel kick) at 2:07 of Round 1
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Magomed Ankalaev takes Alex Pereira’s title at UFC 313
LAS VEGAS — Magomed Ankalaev entered the Octagon as public enemy No. 1 to fan favorite Alex Pereira and left as the new UFC light heavyweight champion Saturday night in the main event of UFC 313.
Ankalaev beat “Poatan” to the punch in the first half of the fight and smothered his offense with clinch work in the second half. His stifling performance sucked the air out of T-Mobile Arena as the fighter out of Dagestan earned a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46).
Pereira (14-3) couldn’t get anything going as Ankalaev (20-1-1) forced him to fight off his back foot for much of the bout. The pressure prevented Pereira from uncorking his signature left hook and was relegated to seeking counter opportunities, which Ankalaev never gave him.
As the fight continued and Pereria fell behind on the scorecards, Ankalaev shifted to crowding and clinching the champion. Although he didn’t secure a takedown, Ankalaev wore down Pereria and left him looking for a fight-ending strike that he couldn’t find.
By the final round, Ankalaev appeared headed for the win. Ankalaev avoided significant punishment. Pereira landed a left hand but had nothing on it. Before he could put together any offense, Ankalaev swarmed and clinched.
Although the crowd booed the result, it was clear that there was a new leader of the light heavyweights.
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.
When Manel Kape is at his best, he looks like he could be the best flyweight on the planet — and he was certainly at his best Saturday in Las Vegas.
Kape (21-7) dominated Asu Almabayev (21-3) in a third-round TKO stoppage in the main event of UFC Fight Night inside the Apex. Kape finished the 125-pound contest at the 2:16 mark, as Almabayev began to run away from him in an effort to stop the damage he’d been taking. It was Almabayev’s first loss in 18 appearances, dating back to 2017.
“Guys, who is next against me?” Kape said. “They’re gonna deny again, my title shot? [UFC], you know I’m the best. I just stopped a guy with a 17-fight win streak. Everybody was scared to fight him because he’s a wrestler. You guys thought I was scared to fight him because he’s a wrestler. I can wrestle and stand with anyone in this division. I’m the best. I’m the Starboy.”
The victory could earn Kape the first title shot of his UFC career, which began in 2021. He made his UFC debut against current champion Alexandre Pantoja and suffered a three-round decision defeat. Pantoja went on to win the belt in 2023 and is running out of viable title challengers.
Kape has a strong case for a rematch, having won six of his last seven.
According to UFC Stats, Kape outlanded Almabayev 63-40 in total strikes and was in even more control than those numbers let on. He took the center of the cage at the start of each round and consistently strung together combinations on the retreating Almabayev. Referee Mike Beltran appeared to miss several accidental eyepokes, but Kape’s dominance made the missed fouls feel less relevant.
The finish came after Kape walked Almabayev to the fence and poured it on with punches and knees to the body. Kape has finished four of his most recent six wins via finish.
Pantoja (29-5) has won seven in a row and successfully defended his title three times. In addition to Kape, his most likely next title challenger would be Kai Kara-France of New Zealand.
ESPN
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UFC 313: Two Massive Last-Minute Fight Cancellations
ByBrian Mazique
, Contributor.
LAS VEGAS, NV – DECEMBER 10: Dana White appears at the UFC 282 post-fight press conference on … [+]
The UFC 313 card lost two fights just before the action began on Saturday.
No. 5 heavyweight Curtis Blaydes pulled out of his fight with Rizvan Kuniev. According to Blaydes, he came down with the norovirus overnight, and despite efforts to recover, his “body wouldn’t cooperate.”
COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 26: Curtis Blaydes celebrates his KO victory over Chris Daukaus in a … [+]
Blaydes said the fight will be rescheduled for a later date. That makes it the second time the fight has been canceled and in need of a new date.
Originally, Blaydes and Kuniev were supposed to fight in February, but the bout was pushed to UFC 313. Now, we may see it rescheduled yet again.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Rizvan Kuniev of Russia poses on the scale during the UFC 313 … [+]
Blaydes hasn’t fought since he was knocked out by Tom Aspinall in the first round of their rematch in July 2024. Kuniev was hoping to make his main-roster debut.
He earned a spot on the UFC roster with a first-round TKO win over Hugo Canha on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2024. I’d suspect this fight is rescheduled sometime soon.
In addition to the cancellation of Blaydes-Kuniev, the UFC was also forced to call off the John Castaneda vs. Chris Gutierrez fight.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: John Castaneda poses on the scale during the UFC 313 ceremonial … [+]
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Castaneda also fell ill and was unable to compete. It’s unknown whether the illnesses are related. He was originally supposed to fight Douglas Silva de Andrade on March 1, but the latter had medical issues that prevented him from competing.
Castaneda’s fight was pushed to March 8, and Gutierrez stepped up to take the short-notice bout. With the last-minute subtractions from the card, UFC 313 was left with just 10 fights.
Castaneda has now been out of action for nearly a year, with his last fight happening in June 2024. He lost that fight via unanimous decision to Daniel Marcos. Gutierrez knocked off Quang Lee in August 2024, so he’s not dealing with as long of a layoff.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 08: In this handout image provided by UFC, Chris Gutierrez poses on … [+]
Perhaps he gets rebooked in the near future. It’s possible this fight could be rescheduled for an upcoming card over the next two months.
Luckily, none of the fights that were pulled from the lineup came from the pay-per-view portion of the show.
Here is a look at the updated card.
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Main Card: 10:00 PM ET | Prelims: 8:00 PM ET | Early Prelims: 6:00 PM ET
Be on the lookout for coverage of every finish that occurs during the event. You can see every finish from UFC 313 here.
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