Magomed Ankalaev systematically dismantled Alex Pereira’s vaunted striking arsenal at UFC 313, securing the light heavyweight championship via unanimous decision in a masterclass performance that surprised many observers. According to former two-division champion Daniel Cormier, the victory wasn’t just impressive—it was revelatory. The Dagestani accomplished what few thought possible: defeating the Brazilian knockout juggernaut without securing a single takedown.

This approach raised eyebrows across the MMA world, as many expected Ankalaev to rely heavily on his grappling credentials to conquer Pereira’s devastating striking power. However, out of the total 11 takedowns attempted by Ankalaev, the Brazilian defended them all. This makes the magnitude of the new champ’s victory even more shocking. The Dagestani masterfully took ‘Poatan’ out of his comfort zone by taking the center and making him fight going back. This, as ‘DC’ pointed out on his official YouTube channel, was the decisive factor in their title clash:

“What happened was Ankalaev was unwilling to take a back step. And by being unwilling to take a back step, he really did put the champion, ‘Poatan’, in some rough positions. You know what tonight showed, and you heard the urgency in the corner of Alex Pereira. Tonight showed that he’s just not as good when he has to go backwards, still a good fighter, he was still in the fight. But Ankalaev had more success than we anticipated because he was able to implement that game plan,” Cormier declared.

To be fair to Pereira, it is pretty understandable why he looked so uncharacteristically hesitant and off his game in the fight. ‘Poatan’, like almost everyone else in the MMA world, would have been expecting the Dagestani to try and keep the fight on the ground as much as possible.

After all, it was the consensus view before UFC 313 that Pereira’s striking would be too good for Ankalaev, and the Dagestani should try to take the fight to the ground as soon and as often as possible. But ‘Ank’ didn’t. However, there was always the threat that he might, which explains why ‘Poatan’ looked so gun-shy and wasn’t letting his devastating hands go as much as he did in previous fights. All in all, just an excellent game plan from the Dagestani and his camp. Of course, the biggest question at the moment is Ankalaev’s next opponent. And ‘DC’ thinks that is a no-brainer.

‘DC’ explains why Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev must rematch after UFC 313

Well, Daniel Cormier, like everyone else, including Pereira, Ankalaev, and Dana White feels that a rematch is in order. Especially since there is virtually no real title contender in the division at the moment. “When you have a champion like Poatan, who has as many title defenses as he had… I believe he earned a title fight again, a rematch just because there really is no clear person as to who should fight Magomed Ankalaev right now,” ‘DC’ added.

Moreover, the former two-division champ thinks that “both would fight better if they had to fight each other again. I think that it could be another fun fight.” But will the result be any different? Maybe. But it all depends upon ‘Poatan’. If the Brazilian fights with the same fearlessness and aggression that he previously did, and doesn’t let Ankalaev dictate terms, he could very well take the crown back.

But then again, there is also Ankalaev’s wrestling to consider. Their UFC 313 clash, as we have mentioned, didn’t make it to the ground even once. And if Pereira indeed goes in gun blazing and keeps moving forward, he will be more vulnerable to being taken down by ‘Ank’. Maybe, just maybe, Ankalaev is just too well-rounded for Pereira. But the Dagestani will have to prove that in their rematch. Until he does that, ‘Poatan’ cannot be written off. What do you think about Cormier’s thoughts on Pereira’s loss?