UFC 313 established a new champion and possibly secured the chance for a fan favorite contender to challenge for championship. In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev snatched the light heavyweight title away from Alex Pereira by executing a smart gameplan to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Pereira, a former kickboxing champion, has been a phenom since joining the UFC in 2021. He won middleweight gold in 2022 before moving up to light-heavyweight and adding a second belt in 2023. Then, last year, he recorded three successful title defences with TKOs of Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr.