While everyone was eagerly counting down the seconds, waiting to ring in the new year, Alex Pereira was cupping his ears, desperately hoping time would grind to a halt and 2024 would never come to an end. It was a stellar twelve months for the current UFC light heavyweight champ, some would say the perfect year. On Saturday, March 8, at UFC 313, the Brazilian MMA megastar, enters the octagon for the first time in 2025. It will be his fourth defense of the crown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and it could prove to be the hardest ring encounter of his life.
2024 may have been a dream year for Pereira, but the previous year had started dismally for the man they call 'Poatan.' He suffered heartache at UFC 287 in April 2023, when losing the UFC middleweight belt to Israel Adesanya in their rematch. However, that defeat proved to be a blessing in disguise. Pereira subsequently stepped up to light heavyweight, and he hasn't looked back since, racking up five straight wins in his new division and picking up the title belt along the way.
After securing wins over Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka in 2023, Pereira powered past Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka (again), and Khalil Rountree Jr. last year to extend his KO winning streak to 4 fights. Despite that blistering run of form, he won’t be underestimating the challenge that awaits him in Vegas. UFC fans have been crying out for Magomed Ankalaev to take on the champ, and their pleading voices have finally been answered.
Magomed Ankalaev has come a long way since joining the UFC roster back in 2018. It was a very inauspicious start for the man from Dagestan, who lost his first-ever bout after tapping out against Paul Craig. He didn’t let the defeat deter him, as he bounced back in style six months later when KO’ing Marcin Prachnio in the first round. That would be the first of Ankalaev’s four career ‘Performance of the Night’ awards, as he’s gone on an impressive 13-fight unbeaten run since losing to Craig.
This won’t be Ankalaev’s first title shot of course. Back in December 2022, he clashed with Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight crown. However, that contest ended in a split draw, and annoyingly for the Dagestan man, as he failed to impress the UFC gods in that matchup, he wasn’t given another crack at the belt. Until now that is anyway. Is the challenger going to outfox Pereira with his grappling skills, or will the light heavyweight king power his way to another successful defense of the crown?
Getty ImagesLet GOAL show you all the vital information you need ahead of the glittering UFC 313 card, including the full details of the main card matchups and how you can watch all the action live.
When is UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev?
Date | Saturday, March 8 |
Location | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States |
Start time | The ESPN show starts at 6 pm ET (11 pm GMT on TNT Sports) |
Main event walks | 11 pm ET (4 am GMT, Sun) |
The T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor venue in Paradise, Nevada. Opened in 2016, it is the home arena of ice hockey outfit, the Vegas Golden Knights of NHL fame, situated on the Las Vegas Strip. It's hosted various sports and entertainment events over recent years, including MMA, boxing, and wrestling. The UFC signed a long-term tenancy agreement back in 2017, under which it agreed to host multiple events every year at the arena. This will be the fourth time Pereira has entered the T-Mobile Arena octagon. He fought there twice last year (UFC 300 and UFC 303) and once in 2022 (UFC 276) and won by stoppage every time.
Looking for tickets for UFC 313? Head to Ticketmaster - Prices range from $250 - $1,100.
How to watch UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev in the US
In the United States, Pereira vs Ankalaev will be broadcast live on ESPN PPV, with streaming available via the ESPN+ app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber to buy a PPV card. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV and many others. The whole event costs $79.99.
How to watch UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev in the UK
UFC 313 coverage will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream on discovery+ and watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT and Virgin Media platforms. Discovery+ Premium is £30.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports, Eurosport, and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package consists of TNT Sports, Discovery+, and Eurosport.
Watch UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev from anywhere with a VPN
If UFC 313 isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
UFC 313 Fight Card
Main Card
Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
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 Maurício Ruffy |
Alex Pereira MMA stats
- Age: 37
- Height: 1.93 m
- Reach: 2.01 m
- Total fights: 14
- Record: 12-2-0
Magomed Ankalaev MMA stats
- Age: 32
- Height: 1.91 m
- Reach: 1.91 m
- Total fights: 22
- Record: 19-1-1 (& 1 NC)