The UFC will return to T-Mobile Arena with an anticipated light heavyweight championship clash this year between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev as the headliner of UFC 313. 

The current champion Alex Pereira will be defending his belt for the fourth time in the span of 12 months. He is on the verge of becoming one of the modern greats in the UFC. However, to achieve this feat, he needs to beat the challenger Magomed Ankalaev who is considered as Poatan’s biggest challenge so far. 

Both fighters have some unique strategies that they can use to claim victory. So, let’s analyze them and make a prediction. 

How to watch UFC 313?

UFC 313 Main Card will broadcast on – ESPN+ (US), TNT Sports (UK), and Kayo Sports (Australia). 

UFC Early Prelims and Prelims will be on – UFC Fight Pass. 

The timing of the event, the pricing, and the active subscriptions to watch the event may differ by country. 

Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev Statistic Match-Up. 

Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev Prediction. 

Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev is your classic striker vs wrestler match-up. This fight catches more eyeballs because the fans are eager to see if Poatan is capable of defending his championship belt against a highly-skilled wrestler after beating three opponents who were predominantly strikers. 

The stakes are not only high for the champion, but the challenger is also under the same amount of pressure. Magomed Ankalaev has been waiting for this opportunity since his draw against former champion Jan Blachowicz, and he’s seizing every chance to roast Pereira on social media platforms. So, both fighters have a lot to prove. Let’s begin the prediction – 

Strength And Weakness Analysis. 

The headliners of UFC 313 events possess really contrasting combat techniques. Alex Pereira and Magomed Anakalev bring some unique advantages over each other that can turn the tide at any moment. 

Alex Pereira. 

In the UFC, Alex Pereira serves as a specialist doctor in kickboxing and we expect nothing less from a two-time Glory Kickboxing Champion. Pereira has refined his skills while fighting top contenders in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. 

What makes Pereira a special martial artist is his ability to shape his striking according to his opponent. He has a keen eye for identifying even really small mistakes and utilizing his striking. Poatan is gifted with un-godly power which greatly increases the chances of knocking out anybody against him. 

However, the most crucial aspect of Pereira’s success inside the octagon is his ability to increase pace without getting tired. Poatan has enough force on his hands to dominate anyone, but the way he regenerates during the later championship rounds without a considerable loss in strength is definitely troublesome for his opponent. It doesn’t matter if it’s round 01 or round 05, Poatan has the rigor to land a finishing blow.

Training with former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira has improved his takedown defense, allowing him to navigate the threat of being taken down against the cage. Pereira might not actively search for a takedown, but he showed us against Blachowicz that surviving with a 205-pound fighter on the back is something he can do. 

When it comes to picking up mistakes in Pereira’s fights, we all know one, it’s his wrestling. Although he avoided getting choked out against Jan Blachowicz and then outstruck him to win the fight via split decision, it’s pretty clear that he struggled a lot to reverse the positions and didn’t show anything that could be considered as a threat on the ground. 

On top of that, Pereira also hasn’t fought elite wrestlers which might be a concern for him to win this fight against Magomed Ankalaev who has the best wrestling accolades in light heavyweight division. 

On the feet, Pereira doesn’t have many technical mistakes, but he often gets caught with a straight punch. In the first Jiri Prochazka fight, Pereira was hit with two straight right hands, and Israel Adesanya famously knocked Pereira out with a counter right hand. 

When Pereira successfully lands something big and rocks his opponent, he generally lets his guard down to chase them. He becomes overconfident and gradually draws him into the chaos that engulfed him against Adesanya. 

In the Khalil Rountree fight, he showed really high fight IQ where he was sticking to landing jabs and a right behind it. Again, Pereira was getting reckless landing against the fence where a wounded Khalil Rountree managed to land some parting shots before ultimately getting knocked out. 

Magomed Ankalaev. 

The boogie man of the light heavyweight division, Magomed Ankalaev is all set to receive his second shot at the gold. 

His last fight against Jan Blachowicz was absurdly considered draw that snatched his chance to become the light heavyweight champion. Since then, Ankalaev was looking for another opportunity, and after two resounding wins over Johnny Walker and Aleksandar Rakic, he is ready to challenge Alex Pereira for the undisputed belt. 

The division is currently boats an array of elite strikers like Jiri Prochzka, Jamahal Hill, Aleksandar Rakic, and Jan Blachowicz. Among these formidable fighters, Magomed Ankalaev has emerged as a well-rounded fighter who has a decisive edge over others. 

Ankalaev likes to exert pressure on his opponent while moving forward and has a tasty straight left hand that always finds the mark. His defensive head movement is also a very underrated part of his striking. In addition to his crisp boxing, Ankalaev has some unique kicks that he effectively incorporates into his fight. 

For example, Ankalaev’s side thigh kick might not be painful at first, but he continuously targets his opponent with this particular kick multiple times and also mixes it up with a high kick. 

Despite possessing better wrestling than others, Ankalaev doesn’t fight like traditional wrestlers who actively look for takedowns. Ankalaev uses his wrestling skills only when it’s necessary and mostly relies on his kickboxing.

He would pressure his opponent with body kicks and jabs, and shoot a double leg against the cage to secure a takedown. So, we can say, that Ankalaev compliments his striking with the wrestling as a significant part of the overall game plan

When it comes to mistakes, Ankalaev is very susceptible to leg kicks. Jan Blachowicz almost crippled Ankalaev with leg kicks and Aleksandar Rakic also dealt some significant damage using leg kick. 

In this context, Ankalaev’s mistakes on the ground are somewhat irrelevant because Pereira won’t engage with him on the ground. Perhaps a greater analysis of the ground game will take place in his next fight. 

Ways to Victory. 

Alex Pereira.

Takedown Defense: This has to be the prime strategy in Alex Pereira’s title defense. He has to defend every takedown attempts and keep this fight on feet to get the victory.

Leg Kicks: Leg kicks work really great against Ankalaev. Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic utilized them effectively, so Pereira can really deal significant damage using them frequently. 

Target The Body: Ankalaev mostly fights with his hands up, forming up a guard over his face to avoid big punches like an overhand or a hook. Pereira can use this to his advantage and land body jabs and kicks. Doing that would eventually lower his lead hand, thereby creating an opening for Pereira to land a decisive right hook. 

Knees: Alex Pereira should be prepared for a lot of clinching and double leg attempts from Ankalaev. In this situations, a well timed knee works great against double legs or in a clinch. 

Magomed Ankalaev.

Takedown: This has to be the go to game plan for Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira hasn’t fought any top-class wrestlers, initiating wrestling wil be a smooth path for victory. 

Feints: Feiting is going to allow to things – (i) It would make Pereira think about a cheeky takedown, (ii) A straight punch. 

Straight Punch: Alex Pereira mostly blocks punches with his face, so if Ankalaev is more measured, then he would find an opportunity to land that 1-2 combination or a straight right which often finds the mark against Pereira. 

Final Prediction. 

Considering all the possibilities, sidekick predicts Magomed Ankalaev to beat Alex Pereira via 3rd round Rear Naked Choke Submission to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion of the world.

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