Israel Adesanya will be paying close attention to Alex Pereira’s light heavyweight title defense at UFC 313, which presents him with a formidable challenge against Magomed Ankalaev, a fighter riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak.
Given their extensive history across multiple combat sports, Adesanya possesses unparalleled insight into Pereira’s fighting style. Their relationship, now marked by cordiality, lends significant weight to the former middleweight king’s analysis of Pereira’s fights.
Ankalaev’s diverse skillset is widely anticipated to test Pereira’s abilities to their limits. “Poatan,” however, heads into the fight with significant momentum, having successfully defended his title three times in 2024. A victory this weekend would solidify his place in history, making him the fastest light heavyweight champion to achieve four title defenses (within 329 days), surpassing Jon Jones’ record.
Adesanya’s prediction for the UFC 313 main event is decisive: he doesn’t foresee the clash between Pereira and Ankalaev going the full five rounds. Instead, Adesanya anticipates a decisive finish.
“Leg kicks. Let’s just address the f*cking elephant in the room,” Adesanya said. “That’s gonna be a factor in this fight. (Ankalaev) might have to become a wrestler in this fight. He might have to go into his bag for this one ’cause you can’t just (stand with Pereira).
“Maybe I’m banking so much on the leg kicks. I have experience with it. I know how painful it is and how effective it is,” Adesanya continued. “Regardless, I’m gonna go Pereira ’cause momentum. He’s just on a tear right now. When you have that kind of frame and power, you just trust in your skillset so much.”
