Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev predictions: Latest picks for UFC 313
On Saturday, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will witness a must-watch UFC 313 event as Alex Pereira steps into the octagon to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against the formidable Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira, a force to be reckoned with, boasts an impressive record of 12 wins and just two losses. His journey to his fourth title defense has been nothing short of spectacular, with three successful defenses in the past year. His first defense was a TKO victory over Jamahal Hill in April 2024, followed by a second-round knockout against Jiri Prochazka in June. His most recent defense was a TKO victory against Khalil Rountree Jr. in October. On the other hand, Ankalaev, with a record of 20-1-1, is a force to be reckoned with.
The highly anticipated matchup between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev will take place on Saturday, March 8, and will be available on ESPN+ PPV. Here are the current predictions for the main event.
UFC 313: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev predictions
MMA Junkie: Jamahal Hill picks Ankalaev
Staff writes regarding Jamahal Hill's pick: “'I’m going to go with Magomed. I feel he has more tools to win,' Hill said. 'Obviously Alex has that one hit wonder. If he catches you, he can put you away, but I believe Magomed also has that. He has the speed, the patience to counter. He’s been in this position before. He already let the title slip out of his hands once before, and I believe he’ll be a lot more focused, locked in for this, and ultimately has more ways to win.'”
ESPN: Pereira to win by knockout
Staff writes: "He must use his range and educated striking to find the damaging shots, like he did against Rountree. The key will be leg kicks. Jan Blachowicz damaged Ankalaev's legs on both sides, and Blachowicz is not nearly as slick setting up those kicks as Pereira is. Despite being a skilled wrestler, Ankalaev has often failed to commit to wrestling, opting to stand and trade, which will put him right in line for Pereira's leg kicks. If that happens, Ankalaev will be compromised by Round 3, if the fight lasts that long."
Sportskeeda: Alex Pereira via KO
Puneeta Sharma writes regarding Alexander Volkanovski's pick: "Alex Pereira very dangerous because he puts the pressure on and he can flick stuff out untelegraphed and set things up offensively and then on the counter, very, very, very good on the counter. Hard, hard fight for Ankalaev to stay on the feet. [Ankalaev's] gonna wanna take it down, he will try and take it down, he might get takedowns... I don't see him being able to submit Pereira unless Pereira gives something up in his process to building up... I'm gonna go with a favorite on this one, Alex Pereira, KO. I'm gonna go with KO/TKO. I think with him, it's always a pretty safe bet... I don't think it's gonna be early rounds. I'm thinking maybe second or third round TKO."
How to watch UFC 313: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
The highly anticipated matchup between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev will take place on Saturday, March 8, and can be purchased on ESPN+ PPV.
- Date: Saturday, March 8
- Early prelims start time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Steam: ESPN+, Disney+
- Main Card Stream: ESPN+ PPV
- Main Card start time: 10 p.m. ET
- Location: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
UFC 313: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev card
Main Card:
- UFC light heavyweight title: Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev
- Lightweight: Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev
- Lightweight: Jalin Turner vs Ignacio Bahamondes
- Women's strawweight: Amanda Lemos vs Iasmin Lucindo
- Lightweight: King Green vs Mauricio Ruffy
Prelims:
- Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev
- Flyweight: Joshua Van vs Rei Tsuruya
- Middleweight: Brunno Ferreira vs Armen Petrosyan
- Welterweight: Alex Morono vs Carlos Leal
Early Prelims:
- Featherweight: Mairon Sanots vs Francis Marshall
- Middleweight: Djorden Ribeiro dos Santos vs Osman Diaz
- Featherweight: Chris Gutierrez vs John Castaneda
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