Magomed Ankalaev stared into the eyes of a Brazilian boogeyman and did not blink.
Relentless forward pressure, clubbing power punches and a suffocating clinch game spurred Ankalaev to a unanimous decision over Alex Pereira, as he captured the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight crown in the UFC 313 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three members of the judiciary sided with Ankalaev (20-1-1, 12-1-1 UFC): 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.
Pereira (12-3, 9-2 UFC) invested heavily in kicks to the lower lead leg, and they seemed to pay dividends initially.