MAIN CARD RESULTS | UFC 313: PEREIRA VS ANKALAEV
UFC returns to T-Mobile Arena with a blockbuster light heavyweight championship tilt that sees Alex Pereira defend his title against No. 1 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev. Also, No. 3 ranked lightweight contender Justin Gaethje battles No. 11 Rafael Fiziev in a co-main event guaranteed to deliver fireworks.
UFC 313: PEREIRA vs ANKALAEV takes place Saturday, March 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada with the main card at 10pm ET/7pm PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The early prelims kick off at 7pm ET/4pm PT on ESPN+ and UFC FIGHT PASS.
Order UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev
Main event scheduled for five rounds. All other bouts scheduled for three rounds.
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 | Order PPV
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 | Order PPV
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 | Order PPV
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 | Order PPV
Prelim Results | Official Scorecards | Order PPV
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
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev Main Card Results
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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
Main Event: (C) Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev
It wasn’t the plan, but Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev will square off in a rematch. Their lightweight bout scheduled for three rounds will take place Saturday, March 8 at UFC 313 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight came together only last week after Gaethje’s original opponent, Dan Hooker, suffered a fractured hand in training.
Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Fiziev (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) first met in March 2023 at UFC 286, with Gaethje winning a hard-fought majority decision in the Fight of the Night.
Since then, Gaethje has gone 1-1, first knocking out Dustin Poirier and most recently suffering the Knockout of the Year to Max Holloway last April at UFC 300. Fiziev followed up his loss to Gaethje with a second consecutive injury TKO loss to Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023, and he hasn’t competed since.
The UFC 313 lineup consists of 12 fights. Early prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.
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Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev 2: Odds, full fight preview and prediction | UFC 313
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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight knockout artists Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev will rematch this weekend (Sat., March 8, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 313.
Coming off the monumental UFC 300 knockout loss to Max Holloway (see it again here), it’s easy to forget that “The Highlight” was riding high into that contest. He had earned a title shot the instant his high kick landed on Dustin Poirier, but the timing didn’t immediately work out, and staying active backfired. At 36 years of age, Gaethje is still in pursuit of that final opportunity for gold, the long-desired showdown versus Islam Makhachev.
Meanwhile, Fiziev has been on the sidelines since Sept. 2023 after his knee exploded in the cage (see that here). He’s been ready to return for a while though, and he was quick to jump on this short-notice rematch as soon as news of Dan Hooker’s broken hand released (those details here). It’s a gamble for the Muay Thai ace, who either loses three straight or jumps into immediate title contention.
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Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
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Gaethje is a savage. Regardless of whether he’s mauling his way forward or working more of an outside game, he commits himself fully to every exchange and never stops trying to take his opponent’s head off.
Pressuring Fiziev — an excellent kicker — is generally a good idea. Fiziev’s style of fighting is extremely taxing, and explosive kicks are even harder to fire from the back foot. Given the short-notice nature of the booking, attacking that gas tank with pressure and his usual volume is likely to pay off.
The other big key here for Gaethje is to work his jab. In the first bout, he spent ten minutes scrapping without sticking the jab. As soon as he started firing his jab, he took over completely and bloodied up Fiziev! Surely fatigue and wear played a factor as well, but throughout his career, Gaethje’s jab has been an underutilized weapon that is nasty when it does show up.
Why wait?
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Fiziev has a long background in Muay Thai and has even coached striking at Tiger Muay Thai. He has very fast, powerful kicks and explosive punching combinations. He tends to control range really well, managing the distance to the point that a slight pull allows him to fire back.
Hopefully, Fiziev has been paying attention to Justin Gaethje’s previous defeats, because the book is definitely written on what works against “The Highlight.” That’s not to say it’s easy, but we know Gaethje can struggle in the face of active feints, an active jab, and effective body work.
In the first fight, Fiziev kicked the mid-section rather well, and he should go back to that well here. However, he could stand to do more body punching too. Jabbing up-and-down the body is a good option, but using the threat of his kicks to set up the left hook to the liver would be classic Muay Thai as well.
Gaethje relies extensively on his high guard. If his mid-section is pummeled, that guard will lower and his punches will be less thudding, allowing Fiziev to find his own hooks and overhands.
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I don’t believe either man has changed dramatically since the first fight. It’s possible, of course, that the Holloway knockout or ACL injury, respectively, have ruined Gaethje or Fiziev athletically. We haven’t seen them fight since then, however, so there’s really no way to know.
Assuming both of them are still close to their 2023 standard … why wouldn’t their bout play out similarly? Gaethje finished strong with momentum in his corner back then, having made the better adjustments to take over late in the fight. He should be able to continue that flow, and the short-notice aspect of the match up only favors him as well.
Fiziev is definitely capable of a big knockout, but I don’t see a reason on paper why he should fare better under worse circumstances.
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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE TILT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its 2025 pay-per-view (PPV) schedule on Sat., March 8, 2025, with a high-stakes clash between 205-pound kingpin, Alex Pereira, defending his Light Heavyweight crown against formidable No. 1-ranked contender, Magomed Ankalaev, in the five-round main event. In UFC 313’s electrifying co-headliner from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lightweight fan-favorite and former interim champion, Justin Gaethje, will rematch the dynamic Rafael Fiziev in a three-round rematch, stepping in on short notice after Dan Hooker’s withdrawal due to injury. UFC 313 will also feature a hard-hitting Heavyweight battle between Curtis Blaydes and promotional newcomer, Rizvan Kuniev, alongside a Lightweight showdown with Jalin Turner facing Ignacio Bahamondes, and so much more! UFC 313’s start time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (“Prelims” undercard) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card).
Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 313 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 313: “Pereira vs. Ankalaev” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
