Pereira vs Ankalaev | UFC
Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira & Magomed Ankalaev are set to throw down at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025! Everyone’s hyped to see who will come out on top as the UFC LHW champion.
Many fans are anticipating a grappling heavy approach from Ankalaev, but in reality this fight might never hit the canvas. Both fighters can crack skulls with their hands and feet, but they do it in totally different ways. While many will consider Pereira to be the far superior striker, Ankalaev very well could shock the world with some striking prowess of his own.
Photo | Sporting News
Alex Pereira: Kickboxing Legend
Alex Pereira is a straight-up monster when it comes to striking. He was a two-division champ in Glory Kickboxing, racking up 33 wins (21 by KO) before stepping into the UFC in 2021. Since then, he’s gone 9-1 in the octagon, snagging belts at middleweight and light heavyweight.
His fists and feet? Lethal. We’re talking about a guy who’s finished 7 of his 9 UFC wins by knockout or TKO—that’s a 78% finish rate with his striking.
Pereira’s go-to move is that nasty left hook. It’s put legends like Israel Adesanya (UFC 287), Jamahal Hill (UFC 300), and Jiří Procházka (UFC 303) to sleep—three KOs. He lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a 58% accuracy, according to UFCStats.com, and he’s thrown down 436 significant strikes across his UFC fights, with a ton of those being fight-ending blows. His low kicks are brutal too—just ask Khalil Rountree Jr., who got chopped down at UFC 307 before eating a fourth-round KO. With knees and elbows in the mix too, Pereira is a walking highlight reel.
He’s all about pressure and power. He stalks forward, cuts off the cage, and swings for the fences. Out of his 11 total UFC fights (including losses), he’s landed 7 knockouts, which is insane. But that aggressive style can leave him open. Adesanya caught him slipping with a counter in their rematch, and Jan Błachowicz tested his ground game. Could Ankalaev exploit that? We’ll see.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Magomed Ankalaev: Silent Sniper
Magomed Ankalaev doesn’t have Pereira’s kickboxing trophy case, but don’t sleep on his striking. He’s 11-1-1 in the UFC with a 13-fight unbeaten streak since his debut loss, and he’s been quietly picking apart the division.
Sure, his wrestling gets a lot of hype, but his stand-up is sneaky good. He’s got 6 knockouts in his 11 UFC wins—a solid 55% finish rate with strikes—and he’s landed 615 significant strikes total in the octagon.
Ankalaev’s style is relaxed and calculated. He’s not rushing in like Pereira; he hangs back, reads you, and then bam—hits you with something clean. He’s got a slick jab, a mean right hand, and leg kicks that’ll stop you in your tracks. Check his KO of Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 84: a perfectly timed uppercut for a second-round finish. He also smashed Ion Cuțelaba’s legs en route to a first-round KO at UFC 254. His stats show 4.07 significant strikes per minute at 58% accuracy—not as much volume as Pereira, but just as accurate.
His footwork’s on point too. He dances around, stays out of trouble, and picks his shots. Ankalaev’s landed big in fights like his win over Aleksandar Rakić (UFC 308), where he out-struck him 63-37 in significant strikes over three rounds. He’s even cocky about it, saying Pereira’s “overrated” and too predictable. “He’s always coming forward—that’s where I’ll catch him,” he told MMA Junkie in July 2024.
Pereira vs Ankalaev | HOF
Power vs. Precision
Pereira’s all about that raw power and chaos. He’s landed 436 significant strikes in 10 UFC fights (not counting his no-contest with Rountree due to fouls), and 7 of his 9 wins are KOs—dude’s a finisher. His game plan is simple: walk you down, blast you with hooks or kicks, and call it a night. Ankalaev’s more like a sniper, racking up 615 significant strikes over 14 fights and scoring 6 KOs in his 11 wins. He’s not throwing as much heat per minute, but he makes it count.
Pereira’s got the edge in pure knockout juice—7 UFC knockouts to Ankalaev’s 6, despite fewer fights. His 436 significant strikes include some absolute bombs, like the 25 he landed on Hill in just 3:14 before the KO. Ankalaev’s 615 strikes lean toward consistency—he dropped 84 on Thiago Santos in a decision win at UFC Vegas 50. Pereira’s leg kicks could slow Ankalaev down, but Ankalaev’s counters and calf kicks might mess with Pereira’s forward march.
Pereira’s striking is his bread and butter, but his grappling’s still shaky. Ankalaev could take it to the mat and ruin his night. That said, Pereira’s been training hard, stuffing takedowns against Błachowicz and bulking up with heavyweights. Ankalaev’s talking big about standing and banging, which might be fun for fans but risky against a guy with 7 UFC KOs.
Who’s Got the Upper Hand?
This fight’s gonna be nuts. Pereira’s swinging sledgehammers, Ankalaev’s throwing darts—UFC 313’s about to show us who’s the real king of striking in the 205-pound division. Grab some popcorn, fam.
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