On March 8, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, was filled with yelling and excitement as two professional fighters entered the ring to compete for the UFC Light Heavyweight World Title.
Alex Pereira, 37, born in São Paulo, Brazil, came in with a record of 12 wins and 2 losses. His opponent, Magomed Ankalaev, 32, from Teletl, Russia, held an impressive record of 20 wins and just one loss. Only one man could walk away as a champion.
Two days before the fight, a press conference was held at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay. During the event, one of Ankalaev’s fans shouted, “If he dominates this fight, will he send him to the tire shop?”
“Shama has no chances on Saturday and whether or not he stays in the sport or goes back to the tire shop that’s going to be up to him,” Ankalaev said.
This comment likely infuriated Pereira, but he kept his composure, saving his anger for the ring.
It is also worth noting that Ankalaev was fighting while fasting for Ramadan. As a practicing Muslim, he could not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset during the holy month, which ran from Feb. 28 through March 30 this year. That added a physical and mental challenge that most fighters do not face going into a title match.
On fight night, both fighters prepared in their respective locker rooms. Ankalaev was the first to walk out to the octagon, entering the arena with visible excitement and confidence. The tension was high as both men prepared for one of the biggest fights of their careers.
Round 1 – Both fighters came into this fight with determination, Ankalaev focusing on his hits, while Pereira struck with his infamous kicks
Round 2 – Both fighters were more focused; however, Pereira was intent on avoiding a takedown, since it is Ankalaev’s specialty. Ankalaev had an idea: throw jabs and use his hand as a shield to protect his face. With five seconds left in the round, Ankalaev knocked Pereira down, but Pereira instinctively grabbed and held onto Ankalaev, preventing the referee from officially calling it a knockout.
Round 3 – Ankalaev continued to impress with his resilience. He was the dominant fighter in Round 3. Pereira kept his distance, but Ankalaev pressed forward, attempting a double-leg takedown, which Pereira successfully defended.
Round 4 – Ankalaev, without a second to spare, went for multiple takedown attempts but failed, as Pereira had been focused on defense since Round 1. Ankalaev began clinching at the waist and landing kicks to Pereira’s sides when pressing him against the cage. In this round, Pereira appeared to tire and went on the defensive, while Ankalaev looked energized.
Round 5 – Both fighters were cautious in their strikes during the final round. Neither wanted to risk being knocked out. However, there was no major change in their fighting styles.
After the fight, the announcer declared Ankalaev the winner by unanimous decision. The three judges scored the fight 49–46, 48–47, and 48–47 in his favor. This confirmed Ankalaev’s dominance, especially considering he was fasting.
“He needs a break. Time is not on his side in terms of how many more fights he has in him, so he needs to make them count. Take a breather. He just appeared in five title fights in less than 500 days. Let him take a break,” Okamoto said.
Some fans say Pereira should have won, but many believe Ankalaev was more dominant throughout the fight. Considering he was fasting for Ramadan, his performance was especially impressive – he appeared sharp, focused, and physically strong despite the added challenge. Still, others argue that Pereira showed more aggression and controlled key moments in the fight, leaving the result up for debate.
Ideally, Pereira will take some time off to recover and train. He has fought in five title bouts within 500 days, which is extremely tough on the body, especially considering he must train rigorously and cut 30 pounds before each fight.
