Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) had to take the hardest of hard roads to get his chance at gold. Similar to fellow champs Belal Muhammad and Merab Dvalishvili, the long path consisting of a double digit unbeaten streak is what it took for Ankalaev to get his opportunity to challenge Pereira, and he got the job done by unanimous decision.

An action-packed Saturday night in Las Vegas saw a stunning upset as Magomed Ankalaev claimed the light heavyweight title, defeating Alex Pereira via unanimous decision at UFC 313. The Russian fighter dominated the judges' scorecards with scores of 48-47,

UFC 313 established a new champion and possibly secured the chance for a fan favorite contender to challenge for championship. In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev snatched the light heavyweight title away from Alex Pereira by executing a smart gameplan to earn a unanimous decision victory.