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.

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.

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

Alex Pereira will make his fourth UFC light heavyweight title defence against No. 1 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, live on TNT Sports.

Alex Pereira will make the fourth defense of his light heavyweight title against top contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March.

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.

Alex Pereira is set to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8.

Starting with the challenger, Ankalaev is getting his second crack at the light heavyweight title. His first shot came in December 2022 when he fought Jan Blachowicz to a draw. Ankalaev hasn’t lost since 2018 when he was submitted in the final seconds against Paul Craig.