Magomed Ankalaev stands as the only man to beat Alex Pereira at light heavyweight.
Back in March 2025, Ankalaev finally got his long-awaited title shot, challenging Pereira, then champion at 205 pounds, in the main event of UFC 313. Many expected Ankalaev to wrestle his way to a win, but the Dagestani fighter stood toe to toe with “Poatan” and outboxed him for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision. It was an impressive showing from Ankalaev.
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You can watch Ankalaev’s title winning performance in the video above.
Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 282 (Paramount+) – takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He takes on Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) in his first fight since losing his UFC belt in the match with Pereira.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Abu Dhabi full fight: Magomed Ankalaev dethrones Alex Pereira
