Chael Sonnen believes the UFC’s long-term strategy for Alex Pereira might not be at light heavyweight—but in the heavyweight division. On his latest episode of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen speculated that Pereira’s real move could be a jump up to face interim champ Tom Aspinall.
“We’ve seen Pereira do it before,” Sonnen said, referencing Pereira’s rapid rise at middleweight. “He landed one strike on Sean Strickland, cut one promo, and walked out with a title shot. Pereira has that skill.”
Sonnen suggested that if Pereira loses to Magomed Ankalaev in his upcoming fight, the UFC might see a move to heavyweight as a compelling next step.
“The best way to get Pereira to heavyweight is not by having him beat Ankalaev and ‘clean out’ a division—because there’s no such thing as long as a guy is still standing,” Sonnen explained. “The best way to move him up is to have him lose.”
This shift could be part of the UFC’s broader strategy, especially as uncertainty lingers over Jon Jones’ future and the next heavyweight title fight. With Aspinall lacking a clear next opponent, a blockbuster showdown with Pereira could be a unique and marketable option.
“If they ever did that fight, it wouldn’t be for the interim belt,” Sonnen said. “It would be for the undisputed heavyweight title.”
While Pereira’s heavyweight move remains speculation, Sonnen suggests it’s a storyline the UFC could soon start telling—especially if Pereira picks up a microphone and plays his cards right.
Light heavyweight title challenger Magomed Ankalaev is aware that he’s not among the UFC’s favorite fighters. But at the very least, he expects to gain the “appreciation” of the higher-ups with his performance this weekend at UFC 313.
While Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka, and Khalil Rountree Jr. all failed in that quest last year, Ankalaev has been widely branded the biggest threat to “Poatan’s” reign owing to his wrestling prowess.
But the Russian’s style has previously been under fire for a perceived lack of entertainment, something that has seemingly put the top contender out of favor with the UFC brass.
During a recent media scrum ahead of UFC 313, Ankalaev acknowledged as much but outlined his plan to rectify that with an emphatic display inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on March 8.
“I don’t know if they (UFC) appreciate me yet,” he said. “But after this fight, they will make sure to appreciate me.” (h/t TheMacLifePlus)
The Dagestani’s first chance at top spot in the division came back in December 2022, when he and former champ Jan Blachowicz fought to a split draw.
He enters his next opportunity off the back of victories over Johnny Walker and Aleksandar Rakić.
The 32-year-old Dagestani has long campaigned for his shot at gold, and the prolonged booking has only added fuel to the fire. Bad blood has been brewing, with both fighters engaging in heated social media exchanges, openly dismissing each other in the lead-up to their showdown.
On Sunday, “Poatan” threw down a challenge to Ankalaev and his manager Ali Abdelaziz on social media, urging him to back up his words with action. He proposed a high-stakes wager, stating that the victor should contribute $200,000 to a charity selected by the opponent.
“Since you are so confident you will win, $200,000 to the winners charity of choice. Win or lose this will help those in need. It’s in your hands,” Pereira wrote on X.
Ankalaev, a devout Muslim, scoffed at Pereira’s challenge, emphasizing that betting is strictly forbidden in Islam. He further stated that if he were to make any charitable donations, he would do so privately rather than seeking publicity.
“As a Muslim you know betting is forbidden in Islam, and also as a Muslim every year I have to give 2.5% of my wealth to charity this is one of the five pillars of Islam. Many kids around the world are in need and we can do things after the fight but we don’t have to publicize it,” Ankalaev responded.
As a Muslim you know betting is forbidden in Islam, and also as a Muslim every year I have to give 2.5% of my wealth to charity this is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Many kids around the world are in need and we can do things after the fight but we don’t have to publicize it https://t.co/5RXfHehW3n
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) March 3, 2025
Ankalaev then advised Pereira to leave the matter in the hands of their managers.
“Your manager and my manager have a good relationship and we can let them handle that, see you soon. Ramadan Mubarak.”
Your manager and my manager have a good relationship and we can let them handle that, see you soon.
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) March 3, 2025
Ankalaev enters the bout riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak. He last competed at UFC 308 in October, where he secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over Aleksandar Rakic. The former WFCA champion previously competed for the 205-pound title against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022, with the bout ending in a majority draw.
Meanwhile, UFC 313 will mark “Poatan’s” fourth light heavyweight title defense. He last defended his crown in October at UFC 307, where he secured a dominant fourth-round knockout victory over Khalil Rountree Jr.
Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see a former interim champ in action as Justin Gaethje returns for his first fight since falling to a brutal knockout at the hands of Max Holloway last April. To put himself back into the title conversation, “The Highlight” must repeat his 2023 triumph over Rafael Fiziev, who’s stepped up on late notice to replace the injured Dan Hooker.
Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of Jalin Turner, Amanda Lemos, Mauricio Ruffy, and Curtis Blaydes.
UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 313 (as of 3/3), courtesy of DraftKings.
During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Pereira revealed that once he takes care of business against Ankalaev at UFC 313, the landscape at 205 pounds remains uncertain, but he already has plans brewing for his future.
“I’m not really sure who would be next in my division,” Pereira said through a translator. “So we could definitely start looking at, you know, maybe moving up to heavyweight, or who knows, maybe even going and doing a boxing match.”
The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion further explained that a potential move up in weight wouldn’t require major adjustments. He noted that he wouldn’t need to bulk up significantly, as he was already walking around at 235 pounds during his training camp for UFC 313
“I’d have to change very little,” Pereira said. “A couple weeks ago, I was weighing about 235 pounds, and that’s really heavy for me. I’m usually around 229, 230, but I think that would be a good weight for me to move up. It’s natural; the body, you get heavier and you get bigger as you age, so that’s what I see that’s been happening.”
On Sunday, “Poatan” posted a video on social media revealing that he weighed 227.5 pounds. With his title defense looming, he must shed 22.5 pounds to make the 205-pound limit by Friday morning.
Pereira most recently competed at UFC 307 last October, where he secured a fourth-round TKO victory over Khalil Rountree Jr., successfully defending his title.
He is currently on a five-fight win streak and has not lost a bout since transitioning to the light heavyweight division after dropping his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 in April 2023.
Fight week for the UFC 313 pay-per-view this Saturday has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headline clash between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev.
Saturday’s UFC 313 lineup is topped by a championship contest, with light heavyweight kingpin Pereira (12-2) looking to add a fourth successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a knockout victory over Jiří Procházka at UFC 295 in November 2023.
If the Brazilian is to continue his rule atop the 205-pound mountain, he must stall the title ambitions of a longtime foe in Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC). The Dagestani has worked his way back to the gold after falling short in his first challenge against Jan Błachowicz in 2022, which ended in a split draw.
Since a no contest against Johnny Walker further stalled his push up the ladder, Ankalaev has won two straight, brutally stopping Walker in their rematch before getting the better of the highly regarded Aleksandar Rakić in Abu Dhabi last October.
The Russian standout will now look to do what Jamahal Hill, Procházka, and Khalil Rountree all failed to in 2024 by unseating “Poatan” from the light heavyweight throne.
It appears that UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira will need to have his wrestling shoes on after all when he faces Magomed Ankalaev next weekend.
Headlining will be Pereira’s first defense of 2025. After three straight wins last year to cement his status as 205-pound kingpin, “Poatan” will next meet the challenge of Ankalaev.
The Russian has long been branded the biggest threat to the Brazilian’s reign, largely owing to his wrestling prowess. The challenger, however, has frequently vowed to get the better of Pereira on the feet.
As many predicted, though, that proclamation looks to have been retracted…
CHAMA is a dead man walking I’m going to drown this man 🤼🤼
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) March 2, 2025
“CHAMA is a dead man walking,” he wrote on X. “I’m going to drown this man (wrestling emojis)”
Ankalaev’s knockout power was on display when he stopped Johnny Walker early last year.
But Pereira marks an entirely different beast on the feet, having stopped the likes of Israel Adesanya, Jamahal Hill, and Jiří Procházka with strikes and once reigned as a two-division Glory Kickboxing champ.
Alex Pereira is not even remotely concerned about naysayers claiming he’s not training hard enough for his upcoming UFC return.
Pereira is set to put his light heavyweight title on the line for the fourth time as he faces Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313, taking place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Earlier this month at UFC 312, the Brazilian champion traveled to Sydney to corner Sean Strickland in his title fight against middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis. However, Pereira maintains that his trip to the “Land Down Under” is not a distraction but a commitment he had made well in advance.
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, “Poatan” reassured his skeptics that his team traveled with him to Sydney, ensuring he stayed on track with his fight camp. He drew parallels to a similar situation last year when he successfully took a short-notice rematch against Jiří Procházka at UFC 303.
“What I can say to Cormier and a bunch of the other specialists that have been saying that I shouldn’t have gone out there: I’ve been in this situation before,” Pereira said through a translator. “It’s actually been worse before when I was in Australia and had signed up to fight, and didn’t even know I was going to fight. But this time it was all very planned out. I knew what I wanted to do, I took basically my whole team down there. There were eight people in Australia with me, so we knew exactly what we were doing, and we planned it all.”
Pereira also reflected on his grueling travel schedule leading up to his 2016 kickboxing clash against Israel Adesanya in China, emphasizing that despite the demanding journey, it had no impact on his performance.
“A lot of people are talking about the traveling and all of the trips. Maybe it’s not the ideal situation. But I feel like I’m very experienced with that, and I’ve done this a million times, to be honest.”
Daniel Cormier has expressed concern over Alex Pereira’s preparations for his upcoming light heavyweight title defense against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8 in Las Vegas.
Cormier’s worry stems from Pereira’s recent trip to Australia, where he was seen supporting and cornering Sean Strickland in his unsuccessful middleweight title fight at UFC 312. The former two-division champion and current UFC commentator believes this has distracted “Poatan” from his own training and could hinder his performance against Ankalaev.
“This dude was seen in Australia last week still, and he was shaking the hand of Drake as Drake went on stage for his concert,” Cormier said on Good Guy/Bad Guy with Chael Sonnen. “One, Drake constantly loses millions of dollars betting on people, so you kind of don’t want Drake to bet on you because he doesn’t have the greatest track record for winning. But what is Pereira still doing in Australia? He fights in two weeks! Ankalaev’s already here, he’s in Vegas, I ran into him at the UFC PI last week. He is honestly so locked in, ready to win this fight against Alex Pereira.”
Cormier also pointed out the potential impact of travel on the Brazilian’s fight readiness, emphasizing the difficulty of adjusting to multiple time zones so close to fight week.
“I got back from Australia, and all last week I’m up at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Cormier continued. “I don’t care that Pereira’s got weeks to get ready, he’s going to be prepared, but even those two to three extra days when he’s adjusting his clock to get back on schedule in Connecticut, then once he’s done in Connecticut to fly to Vegas the week of the fight, get adjusted to two more hours — he’s going to have to deal with all that travel and all that difference in time. And where’s Glover (Teixeira)? Is Glover just in Australia with him? Is it just him and Plinio (Cruz)?”
Despite Ankalaev’s claim that he won’t rely on wrestling, Cormier warns Pereira that grappling should have been a central focus of his training camp.
“Glover’s the guy, honestly, that should be doing the most work with Alex right now because of the wrestling,” Cormier said. “Plinio is a great grappler. Plinio needs to be overseeing Glover just shooting on Pereira because I don’t care what Ankalaev says — he has to be smarter than to go out there and try to just stand with Pereira for 25 minutes. He has to know that he’s got to secure takedowns. Pereira better get home. He needs to get home and make sure he’s locked in because he does have the hardest fight of his title reign to this point.”
With UFC 313 fast approaching, Pereira’s late-stage preparation choices will soon be tested against Ankalaev, a dangerous challenger who is already locked in and training in Las Vegas.
When it comes to putting out fires in his combat sports career, a newfound camaraderie with Israel Adesanya isn’t the only unlikely friendship UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira is open to.
While achieving unprecedented success in just a few short years under the UFC banner, former kickboxing star “Poatan” has already has his fair share of rivalries.
Front and center is his feud with Adesanya, which was forged from two battles in the ring and the Brazilian ‘chasing’ his foe to the Octagon, where he dethroned him. A fourth clash between the pair finally went the way of “The Last Stylebender,” leading to talk of yet another installment.
And with one heated conflict now firmly in the past, “Poatan” is willing to do the same to another that’s currently raging on down the line.
During an interview on Straight Talk with Mark Bouris, Pereira was asked about the possibility of forming a similar bond with former opponent Jamahal Hill.
“Right now, at the moment no, because of a potential fight in the future. We fight in the same weight class,” Pereira said. “But if [it] happens just like Israel Adesanya, I’m not fighting him [Hill] anymore, I have no problem with that. We can be friends, train together; no problem for me.”
Pereira and Hill’s animosity arose ahead of their title bout at UFC 300 last April, with “Sweet Dreams” confidently downplaying the Brazilian’s threat only to be knocked out inside the first round.
Reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has given a positive response when asked about a potential bout with boxing’s pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk.
The Brazilian MMA icon is scheduled to headline UFC 313, set to take place in the T-Mobile Arena In Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 8, 2025. In the main event, he will make the fourth defense of his title against Magomed Ankalaev, widely considered the biggest threat to his championship in the division.
Because of his striking-heavy fighting style and explosive knockout power, fans have often discussed how “Poatan” would perform in a boxing ring. Since “The Cat” expressed the desire to end his career with a boxing superfight against Pereira, fans have been very eager to learn if boxing promoters and Dana White are interested in cross-promoting such a battle too.
When asked about a boxing fight with Usyk with Mark Bouris, Pereira said:
“I had already said that before, right? That I would really like to have a boxing match and they asked me who it would be, I said,well I am champion right so it would have to be a champion and he is the champion. And now, he gave an interview and said my name so it is something that I want. He also wants and the two organizations, right, they are working kind of together so I think now it will I believe that this fight can happen.”
Do note that the statement above is based on Google’s translation of Pereira’s statements. The translator in the live interview was unfortunately called out for missing out on a lot of things so we relied on directly translating the UFC champ’s answer via Google Translator.
As it turns out, the bits about the two organzations (likely UFC and some boxing promotion) working together weren’t revealed in the live interview but Pereira hinting towards it certainly makes it seem like this matchup is not a far-fetched dream now.
Usyk’s wins over Tyson Fury have undoubtedly cemented him as an all-time great boxer. He’s formerly united all belts at cruiserweight, and is now eyeing to become a three-time undisputed champion. For his next boxing bout, he’ll face the winner of an upcoming fight between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker scheduled for February 22, 2025.
“Poatan”, on the other hand, is often seen sparring with professional heavyweight boxers and on many occasions, he’s mentioned about his will to compete in a boxing ring in the future.
Having said that, Pereira needs to handle business in the Octagon first and his performance against Ankalaev will naturally have a huge impact on his brand. A victory at UFC 313 could help him make big moves such as facing the UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones or move over to boxing as discussed above.
UFC CEO Dana White has expressed interest in booking a heavyweight title unification bout between Jon Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall in 2025. But with Jones himself previously favoring a superfight with Pereira, “Poatan” appears to have other options to explore.
One new possibility seems to be boxing, as unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk recently expressed interest in facing the UFC star as part of his retirement plans.
Regardless of the outcome of the Ankalaev fight, Sonnen predicts the light heavyweight kingpin will seek new opportunities.
“If Pereira wins, he’s going to be looking for something else to do, and if Pereira loses, he’s gone,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I feel like many of you have forgotten how Pereira got to 205 pounds. He did not get to 205 by cleaning out 185. He got to 205 by losing at 185. That’s what opened the door — no belt, no vacate, a move right up.
“So no matter what happens after Ankalaev, things are going to be very different for Pereira. I predict he’s moving up, and the ticking time bomb of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall carrying this on and dragging this out — that time bomb reaches midnight as soon as Pereira is done with his piece of business with Ankalaev, win or lose.”
After a disappointing numbered event Down Under in Sydney, Australia earlier this month, the promotion’s March offering on PPV comes from within the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Two highly anticipated clashes are set to headline, with fan favorite Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev in the main event and Justin Gaethje meeting Dan Hooker in a sure-fire barnburner at 155 pounds.
During the broadcast of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event at the Apex, the MMA leader confirmed which other three fights will go down on the UFC 313 main card, including two further lightweight bouts and a key contest at 115 pounds.
Light Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira (C) vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Lightweight: Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker
Lightweight: Jalin Turner vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Women’s Strawweight: Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Lightweight: King Green vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Fans quickly flocked to social media to react, with the majority seemingly anticipating a much more electric card at UFC 313 than was delivered to Aussie fans at Qudos Bank Arena on Feb. 8.
I know the promotion is in the worst shape it could be in recent history because why is the ESPN page hyping up Jalin Turner and Bobby Green main card bump? https://t.co/S4TbeSkTDt
Oleksandr Usyk is entertaining the possibility of a potential showdown with Alex Pereira down the road.
“The Cat” has recently suggested that he is nearing the twilight of his storied boxing career, committing to two more fights before hanging up his gloves. Having dominated both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions while maintaining his undefeated record, he now stands on the verge of a well-deserved departure from the sport.
However, shortly after, he was compelled to relinquish the IBF title, which ultimately found its way into the hands of his former foe, Daniel Dubois.
Usyk will be intently observing Dubois’ upcoming title defense against Joseph Parker on Feb. 22 in Saudi Arabia, as the winner of this bout will be the next opponent for the former undisputed champion.
During a recent interview with TNT Sports, “The Cat” outlined what could very well be the final two bouts of his illustrious career. To the surprise of many, he revealed that in his last fight, he envisions stepping into the ring with reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Pereira.
“First, is who wins the next fight [Dubois vs. Parker] on Feb. 22, Usyk said.” Next? Maybe a show fight with Alex Pereira. Maybe – why not? Alex wants to.”
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Unified King Oleksandr Usyk eyes 'show fight' with Alex Pereira… 😱
Pereira is set to defend his 205-pound title for the fourth time against Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313. The highly anticipated showdown is scheduled for March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo has been so impressed with Dricus Du Plessis’s performance against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 that he went on to pick him against potential future opponents Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira.
The UFC middleweight kingpin was as dominant as he could be in his second outing against Strickland, skyrocketing his brand even further. The challenger left with a broken nose at UFC 312, and before that, DDP showcased his grappling prowess by becoming the first fighter to submit Israel Adesanya.
Now, fans are excited to see “Stillknocks” get tested against Chimaev and Pereira. While “”Borz” is coming off an impressive first-round submission victory over Robert Whittaker, “Poatan” has looked invincible at light heavyweight.
In a recent episode of Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Cejudo heavily praised DDP for his cardio and explained why he could hand defeats to both Chimaev and Pereira:
“If you’re asking me now Kumaru, who is it if we do see a match between DDP and Alex Pereira. Even though I do believe that Pereira is going to beat Magomed Ankalaev, I’ll definitely put my money with DDP. I think DDP, stylistically, is a problem dude. And I know DDP is gonna go in there and f****g wrestle. And I think with the grappling, I think that could be very problematic, but there’s one thing that I will say is he will need to be careful because Alex Pereira does a really good job of cornering and there’s a lot of little sloppy things that DDP does but I think I put my strengths and his mixing of the fighting against a guy like Alex Pereira.”
While discussing a potential match-up with Chimaev, “Triple C” again picked the South African despite knowing that the Emirati fighter is on an iconic undefeated run. The latter’s ability to out grapple and finish elite fighters like Whittaker and Usman definitely makes him a threat to anyone at middleweight.
“I personally think he beats up Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to submit, I think DDP is scrambly and I think his conditioning, bro, I mean I want to put him up there. Even like this particularly, this last fight, you want to kind of, you know, maybe the top three, maybe greatest right now cardio in the UFC. Obviously, Merab is one and then you can go two three but whatever it is, he looked freaking good and he looked so good that fifth round where he was like hey, I was able to go another five more rounds. I mean this guy’s ready and this guy’s gonna be a problem for anybody at 185 lbs and I am excited to see this dude fight Khamzat and if he beats a guy like Khamzat Chimaev, I would love for him to go up and then fight the winner of Alex Pereira and Ankalaev.”
Ankalaev is the no.1 ranked UFC light heavyweight contender set to fight the champion at UFC 313 in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. The outcome of this fight will naturally impact the futures of the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
Magomed Ankalaev is determined to make a statement when he challenges UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 on March 8. He isn’t just aiming for a victory — he wants to change Pereira’s career forever.
Ankalaev enters the fight on a 13-fight undefeated streak. His last three bouts were a recent unanimous decision win against Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 last October and a knockout victory over Johnny Walker at the start of 2024 after going to a no contest against the Brazilian months prior.
On Sunday, the Russian took to X to issue a warning to Pereira.
“This guy keep traveling and he forget he will be fighting for his life March 8,” he wrote. “He will never be the same after this fight. [Dana White], mark my word.”
@AlexPereiraUFC this guy keep traveling and he forget he will be fighting for his life March 8 He will never be the same after this fight @danawhite mark my word
Ankalaev’s comment appears to be a jab at Pereira’s frequent travels, specifically referencing his recent trip to Sydney to support Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Pereira was in the corner for Strickland’s lackluster loss to middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis.
The upcoming challenger also criticized Pereira’s growing social media presence, likening him to a “TikTok chick.”
“I never wanna hurt someone in my life like I want to hurt Alex,” he stated. “He is a fake humble boy.”
I never wanna hurt someone in my life like I want hurt Alex He is a fake humble boy
While the aftermath of the Feb. 8 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV — and from the middleweight title picture to the light heavyweight championship conversation.
At UFC 313, set for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 8, reigning kingpin Alex Pereira will open his account for the new year, once again in defense of his 205-pound gold. After consecutive victories over Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka, and Khalil Rountree in 2024, the Brazilian will next meet the challenge of Magomed Ankalaev.
Gaethje vs. Hooker Sets The Stage For Title Headliner At UFC 313
Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as top lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker meet in a five-round battle that many expect to be in the conversation for Fight of the Year come the end of 2025.
And that’s not the only sure-fire barnburner at 155 pounds. Also slated to collide at UFC 313 is veteran King Green and surging Fighting Nerds prospect Mauricio Ruffy.
An important strawweight bout is also set, with former title challenger Amanda Lemos tasked with defending her position on the ladder against up-and-comer Iasmin Lucindo.
See below for the UFC 313 card, as it stands.
Alex Pereira (C) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (light heavyweight championship)
Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker (lightweight)
Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo (women’s strawweight)
King Green vs. Mauricio Ruffy (lightweight)
Brunno Ferreira vs. Armen Petrosyan (middleweight)
Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van (flyweight)
Alex Morono vs. Carlos Leal (welterweight)
Chris Gutierrez vs. Jean Matsumoto (bantamweight)
Ozzy Diaz vs. Djorden Santos (middleweight)
Mairon Santos vs. Francis Marshall (featherweight)
Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title for the second time with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312 in Sydney.
Following the fight, Du Plessis turned his attention to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who was in Strickland’s corner. While he expressed interest in a future showdown with “Poatan,” he made it clear that his immediate focus is on Khamzat Chimaev.
“I have the utmost respect for Alex Pereira,” Du Plessis said. “I think he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I respect everything he’s accomplished in such a short time in the UFC — coming from another sport and achieving what he has. But yes, I want to share the octagon with that man. I want to beat a guy — I’ve beaten [Israel] Adesanya, who has beaten him. I know I can beat him, and at 205 [pounds], one hundred percent.”
The likelihood of a fight with the UFC light heavyweight king happening soon is slim, as Pereira is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev next month in the main event of UFC 313.
For now, Du Plessis is content with a fight against the undefeated Chimaev.
“Khamzat’s first,” Du Plessis said. “I told [Pereira], ‘Please beat Ankalaev.’ No hate against Ankalaev — I just want to beat Alex Pereira. It’s nothing personal against Ankalaev, it’s just Pereira. He’s already a legend in this sport, and it would be amazing to beat him for my legacy. I want to be the greatest to ever do this. But Khamzat is next. Khamzat is next. I want to make sure that this belt — the middleweight title — has no questions left about who the greatest middleweight is.
“I know you have Anderson Silva — in my mind, he is the GOAT of this division—and you have Adesanya, who has done incredible things. But it’s not just about how many times you defend. It’s about who you fight, how you defend it, and what period of time you’ve done it in. I want to make sure that there’s no question that I am the best middleweight before moving up. So I’m not rushing to fight Alex Pereira next. No, no, no. I want Khamzat next. I think he deserves a hiding.”
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira have waged war plenty of times with one another between their time in kickboxing and MMA. But at UFC 312 in Australia, the longtime rivals appeared to be at peace, as the pair were sitting next to each other audience.
After images emerged of the two stars seated together, a video showed Pereira flipping the camera to Adesanya, with the fellow former UFC middleweight champion calmly exclaiming, “Chama” — the catchphrase of the current UFC light heavyweight king.
Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira Seated Next To One Another During UFC 312
Adesanya and Pereira fought twice in kickboxing. Pereira won both fights, once via decision and the other via knockout.
Pereira, who went on to win championships in GLORY Kickboxing, transitioned over to MMA full time and fought Adesanya twice there. Their first meeting came at UFC 281 in November 2022, with Pereira scoring a comeback fifth-round finish to win the UFC middleweight championship.
Adesanya finally scored a win and regained the title when he went on to knock out Pereira at UFC 287 five months later.
Their careers have gone in opposite directions since. Pereira has become the champion at 205 pounds, defeating the likes of Jiří Procházka, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree. “The Last Stylebender,” meanwhile, dropped the middleweight title in upset fashion to Sean Strickland, failed to regain the belt against Dricus Du Plessis, and was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov last week at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Alex Pereira has extra incentive to support Sean Strickland in his upcoming fight at UFC 312, where Strickland will challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title in a rematch.
Leading up to the fight, Strickland has revealed that Pereira harbors a strong dislike for Du Plessis. This tension comes after both fighters previously expressed interest in facing each other, with each willing to change weight classes to make the bout happen.
Although Du Plessis has recently spoken positively about Pereira and his accomplishments, he has also expressed his own ambitions of becoming a two-division champion like “Poatan.” However, according to Strickland, Pereira’s feelings toward Du Plessis are far from neutral.
“I think Alex is an angry motherf*cker,” Strickland said in an interview with the UFC. “Like, Alex is angry, and for some reason, dude, he hates Dricus. Like, I don’t know what you did to him, but he f*cking hates you, dude.
“So, it’s like, the way he looks at Dricus sometimes, I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m fighting him, dawg. Like, it’s me, dude.’ But yeah, no, Alex, he just has that hate in his heart, and he’s a good dude, so he’s out there, and I was like, ‘Let’s come on, let’s get it in.’”
“I wouldn't want to f****** fight me either.”
Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) hopes to put on a show for fans as he looks to settle his score with Dricus Du Plessis and get the belt back. #UFC312
The reigning UFC middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, has been following Alex Pereira’s career closely for years and thinks he is easily one of the most accomplished combat sports athletes in the world.
The South African is set to defend his title for the second time at UFC 312 against a familiar opponent he faced last year, Sean Strickland. The bad blood between the two fighters is yet to be settled, and they’re promising another back-and-forth war to fans worldwide.
At UFC 297, “Stillknocks” had clinched the UFC middleweight title via a split decision. However, his first title defense against two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was definitely more promising as he became the first athelete to submit “The Last Stylebender”.
On the other hand, Strickland is coming off a much less exciting but dominant win over Paulo Costa.
Interestingly, in the first fight, the American had Pereira in his corner and the UFC light heavyweight champion will be in his corner at UFC 312 as well. Du Plessis considers the Brazilian a potential opponent and in a recent interview with Mark Bouris, he sent a chilling message to “Poatan”.
“How’s it going to feel to be in Sean Strickland’s corner losing again…One day when we fight, he’ll be zero and 2.”
Despite the cold trash talk, Du Plessis also praised his fellow UFC champ by saying:
“I think he is one of the greatest combat athletes to ever live. He is a phenomenal athlete. to go in a short period of time from a different sport and not just a different sport, kickboxing, which is not a great base for MMA. It helps, but if that’s the only thing you know, not a great base if you want to go up against these wrestling guys. He came in and just went through everyone after being one of the greatest K1 kickboxers to ever live. I mean in multiple titles at the highest level comes in a short period of time and just becomes a two, like middle weight champion, goes to light heavyweight, becomes champion and being one of the biggest names, always, like always ready to fight.”
After acknolweding Pereira’s impressive and quick rise in MMA after a massively successful kickboxing career, he explained why the UFC light heavyweight kingpin is a special combat sports athelete:
“I have the world’s respect for him as a fighter, I think and you know, as a person even I think. We are rivals, but, you know, I have the utmost respect for what he’s achieved in the sport and he’s truly one of the goats to ever. Not [just] MMA or in the UFC , in combat sports. I think, probably, the most acheived combat sports athlete the world’s ever seen.”
As of now, Du Plessis is locked in for what could be another slugfest with Strickland on Saturday at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although the middlweight division is stacked with contenders like Khamzat Chimaev, Nassourdine Imavov, and Caio Borralho, the champion might show interest in moving up for a superfight against Pereira.
After being one of the most dominant UFC champions ever, Israel Adesanya has now lost four of his last five fights in the promotion. While the losses to Alex Pereira, Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland came in title fights, Nassourdine Imavov became the first fighter to beat “The Last Stylebender” in a non-title fight.
Unsurprisingly, Adesanya dominated the first round with a tactical approach. Using his reach advantage and feints, the former UFC middleweight champion landed a few heavy kicks on the body and limbs, keeping his opponent unsettled.
Izzy, who usually starts slow and relies on counter-striking, could be seen putting the pressure on Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia. “The Sniper” only landed a solid uppercut in the first round and failed to secure any takedowns.
Things took a sudden turn in the second round, though. Adesanya started with a high pace yet again but suffered an eye poke 20 seconds into the round. Marc Goddard stepped in to check if the former champ wanted time to recover but was asked to let the fight continue.
To everyone’s surprise, Imavov knocked down Adesanya in the very next exchange after the eye poke and got the TKO win. After the fight, fans could not help but draw parallels to Pereira’s UFC 300 main event against Jamahal Hill. The challenger hit “Poatan” in the groin which led to Herb Dean stepping in like Marc Goddard to check on the affected fighter.
Just like Izzy, Pereira shrugged away the referee and in the very next exchange, knocked out Hill with a left hook to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship. Considering “Poatan” and “The Last Stylebender” are long-time rivals, it was interesting for many fans how both of them stopped the referee from intervening but got completely opposite results right away.
The tweets embedded below show just two of the many fans who believe that Izzy failed to recreate Pereira’s iconic UFC 300 KO win:
As usual, Adesanya has no excuses for his KO loss to Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia. And of course, he wasn’t trying to copy his former rival by not allowing Goddard to stop the action during his fight. However, considering his long history with Pereira, it’s nonetheless amusing how their stories were intertwined yet again.
Strickland’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, disclosed earlier this week that reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Pereira will lend his seasoned expertise to the outspoken fighter as he eyes a second shot at the 185-pound title.
Pereira himself is preparing to put his belt on the line for the fourth time against Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313, set for March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After Pereira knocked out Strickland at UFC 276 in 2022, the two formed a camaraderie and regularly train alongside each other. UFC 312 will mark the second time “Poatan” corners Strickland, having previously been in his corner at UFC 297, where the American lost his title to Du Plessis in a gritty split decision.
During a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, “Stillknocks” laughed off Pereira cornering Strickland at UFC 312, dismissing it as a non-factor. He pointed to the Brazilian’s presence at UFC 297, where Strickland still lost.
“He was in the corner in the first fight too,” Du Plessis said. “I mean, they don’t even speak the same language. It doesn’t really make it much of a difference whether he’s in the corner or not. Strickland could barely understand his own coach who’s also American. How is he going to understand Alex Pereira [laughs]?”
After capturing the middleweight title in January last year, Du Plessis has defended it once, securing a submission victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August.
Meanwhile, Strickland has stepped into the Octagon just once since losing the belt, edging out Paulo Costa via split decision at UFC 303 last June.
Daniel Cormier has witnessed firsthand what Alex Pereira can do inside the Octagon, showcasing dominant performances against some of the light heavyweight division’s best.
Pereira is set to make his fourth title defense against former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev on March 8, at UFC 313. He won his first UFC title in just his eighth professional MMA fight and claimed his second championship in his 11th bout.
UFC color commentator Cormier, who previously held both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles, made it clear that he would not doubt Pereira’s abilities. In fact, he believes Pereira will be a force in the division for years to come.
“Now one thing I won’t do is question Alex,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I’m done. I won’t question whether or not he can wrestle, I won’t question any of that anymore, because he has proven it time and time again that whatever he’s doing is right and it’s allowed for him to become one of the greatest fighters of all time.
“Yes, he is one of the greatest fighters of all time in the shortest amount of time I have ever seen anyone building a legacy that is that strong or a résumé that is that strong, never seen it.
“I’ve never seen someone do what Pereira has done, and he’s a free spirit—maybe that free spirit allows for him to be as good as he’s been. This dude’s the man, and if he gets through this next challenge, if he gets through Ankalaev, I’m going on the record and saying that light heavyweight is going to have a ‘Poatan‘ problem for a really long time.”
Daniel Cormier has given his take on the growing partnership between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira and former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland. He recently cautioned Pereira about overextending himself.
Pereira is set to defend his title for the fourth time against former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev on March 8 at UFC 313. Meanwhile, Strickland is scheduled to compete for the 185-pound belt in a rematch against current champion Dricus du Plessis on February 8 at UFC 312.
“Poatan” will be in Strickland’s corner for the fight, marking the second time he has taken on that role.
He was also part of Strickland’s team at UFC 297, where the American lost the middleweight title to du Plessis via a close split decision. Pereira and Strickland formed a friendship after their fight in 2022, which the Brazilian won by knockout.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier highlighted the depth of their bond.
“We don’t know what those training sessions look like, but I think what you don’t understand as people on the outside is it’s more than just the training,” Cormier said. “It’s the bond that’s built outside of the training. How much time are these guys spending together to build a relationship once they are outside of the gym? This, to me, tells me that Pereira and Strickland are building a relationship that’s very strong. Why? Because we already know that Pereira has a fight on the books. Las Vegas. UFC 313.
“What we do know is that Alex Pereira is going to be fighting a guy who could be his most formidable opponent because of the style. But we also have to take into effect that his relationship with Strickland is so strong that he’s willing to travel across the world to corner him. To me, it seems dangerous. To me, it seems risky for Alex to go all the way to Australia knowing everything that goes into a training camp and how hard that travel can be on your body when you’re preparing to continue to defend your world championship. So how strong is that bond? How much does Sean Strickland now mean to Alex Pereira for him to take that risk? Because trust me, it is a risk.”
