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.
The Fights & Performances That Warranted An Extra $50,000 In 2025
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UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev Results
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev Main Card 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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UFC 313 live blog: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev 2
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Follow the UFC 313 live blog for Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev, the main card lightweight rematch Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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Gaethje currently stands at No. 5 at 155 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while Fiziev remains at No. 11 as he heads into his first fight since September 2023.
“The Highlight” was originally scheduled to fight Dan Hooker, but a hand injury forced Hooker to withdraw and be replaced by Fiziev on short notice. Gaethje (25-5) first fought Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 286, where he won a majority decision after an exciting three-round contest. The 36-year-old is coming off of one of the most insane knockouts in MMA history, a last-second loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300. He needs another win over Fiziev to keep his name in the contender circle.
Fiziev (12-3) has been hunting for a big name for his comeback fight and he has to be happy to have landed Gaethje. When we last saw Fiziev, he was felled by an unfortunate knee injury in the second round of a fight with Mateusz Gamrot, and he has spent the better part of the past 18 months rehabbing from that injury. Can he avenge his loss to Gaethje and swoop into a top 5 spot?
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Check out the UFC 313 live blog for Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev 2 below.
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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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