Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev have seemingly been destined to fight one another, but they took vastly different paths to get to their UFC 313 title clash.
Watch MMA Fighting’s UFC 313 Timeline video above to understand the full scope of how Saturday’s main event came to be.
A two-time champion with Glory Kickboxing, Pereira achieved the same status in UFC with title fight wins over longtime rival Israel Adesanya in just his eighth MMA fight and later Jiri Prochazka in his 11th. “Poatan” hasn’t looked back, rattling off three title defenses in 2024, vanquishing all of his challengers by knockout.
Ankalaev was essentially lapped by Pereira in the 205-pound title chase as he has had to go on a 13-fight unbeaten streak to earn his opportunity. His road to No. 1 contender status was a roller-coaster in every sense of the word, but he now has the chance to put all of that in the past if he can be the man to dethrone the popular Pereira.
