Alex Pereira’s post-fight demeanor at UFC 313 reflected his disappointment after losing the light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev in a five-round decision.
Known for his knockout power and exciting fights, Pereira struggled to find his rhythm against Ankalaev’s pressure.
“Poatan’s” offensive output was limited in the fight. Aside from his last-round surge, there were few notable moments for him. The most significant strike of the night came from Ankalaev — a powerful left hook in the second round that visibly hurt Pereira.
Ankalaev’s constant forward pressure and prolonged cage control during the championship rounds further compounded the Brazilian’s struggles. Ultimately, the judges awarded Ankalaev a unanimous decision victory with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47, crowning him the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
“I knew it would be a war,” Alex Pereira said during his post-fight interview. “Every fight of mine is a war. He put some pressure in the second round. I felt some of his strikes, but putting me up against the cage, he didn’t really do anything. We followed our strategy. We know that he puts people against the fence, and he plays that game.
“Giving him the win with a game plan like that kind of incentivizes people to do that,” he continued. “People might say it’s a boring style, but when a guy gets a win doing that, it kind of makes people want to do that, too. I hurt him against the fence — the only difference is I was the one against the fence.”
