Ankalaev beats Pereira to become UFC light heavyweight champion

LAS VEGAS, March 8 (Reuters) - Magomed Ankalaev dethroned Alex Pereira to become the UFC light heavyweight champion after securing a unanimous decision victory at UFC 313 on Saturday, handing Pereira his first loss in the weight class.

Russia's Ankalaev, unbeaten since March 2018, outwitted former kickboxing champion Pereira on the feet with forward pressure and tight knees to the body, and left the Brazilian exhausted after pinning him to the fence and forcing him to grapple.

"I can't even put it into words. It has been such a long wait. Here's my dream and it's on my waist," Ankalaev said after finally winning the championship belt, having fought Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in his first UFC title bout in December 2022...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]