Magomed Ankalaev is the new light heavyweight champion following Saturday’s highly anticipated UFC 313 headliner in Las Vegas.
It was a closely contested battle between Chama and the challenger through five back-and-forth rounds. ‘Poatan’ started strong, landing a bevy of brutal calf kicks on Ankalaev, but the Dagestani would turn up the heat in round two, connecting with a big right hand that had the Brazilian boogeyman on wobbly legs just before the bell.
Pereira bounced back in the third round, but everything changed in the fourth as Ankalaev deployed his clinch game, pressing Pereira up against the fence.