UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira clarifies that he was never ducking Magomed Ankalaev. Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) has been heavily campaigning to fight Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), but was passed up for a title fight on several occasions.

Undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will return to action at UFC 313 when he takes on Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev on March 8.

Despite all his posturing, Alex Pereira will in fact next defend his title against Magomed Ankalaev, and it’s official for UFC 313.

UFC contender Magomed Ankalaev has issued a warning to UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira ahead of UFC 313.

Magomed Ankalaev promises to punish Alex Pereira in the UFC 313 main event, setting the stage for an intense showdown in the Octagon.

Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC) is ranked No. 1 in the UFC's official light heavyweight rankings. He's undefeated in his last 13 UFC fights and most recently defeated Aleksandar Rakic. Ankalaev previously fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title in 2022, which ended in a split draw.

Alex Pereira says he requested to fight Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March as he wanted to prove he wasn't ducking him.

Reigning UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira has been one of the hot topics of conversation in mixed martial arts. Who's he fighting next? Here's the latest info.