Israel Adesanya, a close observer of UFC 313 due to his storied rivalry-turned-friendship with Alex Pereira, strongly contested the judges' scoring in "Poatan's" defeat to Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira’s unanimous decision loss to Ankalaev prompted Adesanya to share his reaction on his YouTube channel. His main point of contention was the 49-46 scorecard, which he dismissed as “stupid,” while also expressing his continued passion for the sport.
Adesanya’s scoring differed significantly from the official verdict by the judges. He believed the fight was tied 1-1 after the first two rounds, then awarded rounds three and five to Pereira, giving him a 3-2 edge overall. This discrepancy underscored his disagreement with the judges’ decision.
I had Alex winning, but I’m not sure,” Adesanya said of the Brazilian's defeat to Magomed Ankalaev. “I’d have to watch it again and score the fight properly. Round two might have played a factor just because he dropped him, but then holding against the fence — I don’t really remember him getting any takedowns.
“It was a competitive fight, back-and-forth,” Adesanya added. “They’re both going to level up, and I’m sure he’s going to get a rematch. Spin the block.
Given the controversial scoring and the close nature of the fight, Israel Adesanya believes an immediate rematch between Pereira and Ankalaev is a strong possibility. He pointed to Pereira's past willingness to step in on short notice and headline major UFC events, such as UFC 300 and UFC 303, as a factor that could influence the UFC to grant him a second chance.