LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: (L-R) Opponents Alex Pereira of Brazil and Magomed Ankalaev of Russia … [+] face off during the UFC 313 ceremonial weigh-in at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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The UFC is at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for tonight’s fights. The UFC 313 pay-per-view fight card features a light heavyweight title fight in the main event. In that matchup, Alex Pereira puts his title on the line against the man many believe has the best chance of toppling him from the top of the division, Magomed Ankalaev. In the evening’s short-notice co-main event, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev face off in a lightweight rematch. We will update the UFC 313 results, reactions, video highlights, scorecards, winners and losers, and more live throughout tonight’s pay-per-view card.
The main card for UFC 313 streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view, following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Two UFC 313 matchups fell out on fight night. Both fights were canceled due to illness. The canceled fights were Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev and John Castaneda vs Chris Gutierrez. The UFC reshuffled the UFC 313 fight card, and it will proceed with 10 fights.
UFC 313’s start time was also moved to 7:30 p.m. for the early prelims. The prelims and PPV start times remain unchanged.
UFC 313 Main Event: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: Alex Pereira of Brazil is seen on stage during the UFC 313 press … [+] conference at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Alex Pereira (12-2) began 2023 by losing his UFC middleweight title to Israel Adesanya by knockout. In July, Pereira followed that setback with a win over former UFC light heavyweight title holder, Jan Błachowicz, in his UFC debut at 205 pounds. He finished the year by knocking out ex-UFC light heavyweight kingpin Jiří Procházka at UFC 295 to claim the vacant UFC 205-pound title.
Pereira made his first defense of his crown in April when he knocked out (another) ex-UFC light heavyweight champ, Jamahal Hill, in the first round of their UFC 300 matchup. Pereira showed his power is on another level, when he finished Hill 3:14 into the first round of the main event of UFC 300.
In June, on very short notice, the UFC called on Pereira and Procházka to headline UFC 303 when the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight fell off that card.
After the bout, which Pereira won via a knockout 13 seconds into the second stanza, I wrote:
“Pereira showed that his first win over Prochazka wasn’t a fluke. The UFC light heavyweight champ is a fearsome fighter who packs a lot of power in his strikes, but he’s also an extremely focused competitor who doesn’t let anything bother him.
“Pereira effectively scored two knockouts on Saturday night, blasting former champion Jiri Prochazka to the mat at the bell to end the first round and then sending him right back down in the opening moments of the second round with a head kick.”
In August the UFC booked Pereira against Khalil Rountree Jr for the main event of UFC 307, which took place on October 5. Pereira outclassed Rountree, putting a beating on his opponent before scoring a fourth-round TKO win.
Pereira picked up his third UFC title defense of 2024 on Saturday night. Pereira let his opponent, Khalil Rountree Jr, tire himself out in the early going of the fight while simultaneously slowing him with powerful kicks to Rountree’s lead leg. Pereira picked up the pace in the third round, fighting very effectively behind his jab. That jab opened up several nasty cuts around Rountree’s eye and on the bridge of his nose. Those blows hurt Rountree, and once Pereira had Rountree fading, he picked him apart with precision and power, forcing the referee, Marc Goddard, to stop the fight in the fourth round. Goddard could have stopped this much sooner.
Pereira was in the running for fighter of the year for 2024.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: Magomed Ankalaev of Russia is seen on stage during the UFC 313 press … [+] conference at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1-1) has been a member of the UFC roster since 2018. Ankalaev lost his UFC debut when Paul Craig submitted him at 4:59 of the third round. Since then, Ankalaev has gone 13 fights without a loss.
Ankalaev secured a title fight in December 2022 when he faced former UFC champion Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight crown. However, that contest ended in a split draw, and with neither man impressing the matchmakers in that matchup, the UFC opted not to give either man a second go at earning the belt.
Since then, Ankalaev is 2-0-0-1 with a no contest (illegal knee) against Johnny Walker, and most recently a decision win over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308.
When the UFC opted to give UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira a fight against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 and bypass Ankalaev, he felt snubbed by the promotion, but also motivated.
“Now everybody knows I’m not fighting for the title and will fight Rakic in Abu Dhabi. Whoever (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard gives me I will smash their face so that they can no longer deny me if I do my job impressively. I feel sorry for whoever is gonna fight me from now going forward,” Ankalaev said at the time.
Not long after that, Ankalaev said that Pereira was running from him.
On Saturday, Ankalaev gets the chance to face down Pereira.
Check out our betting picks for UFC 313
UFC 313 Co-Main Event: Justin Gaethje Vs. Rafael Fiziev 2
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: Justin Gaethje is seen on stage during the UFC 313 press conference at … [+] Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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When Justin Gaethje (25-5) joined the UFC in 2017 he had a perfect record of 17-0. Leading up to that signing, Gaethje had won the World Series of Fighting lightweight title and then defended the belt five times. All six of his title fights under the WSOF banner ended by knockout.
Gaethje’s first fight with the UFC came in July 2017, when he met Michael Johnson in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 25 finale card. Expectations were high for that matchup, and Gaethje delivered, picking up a second-round TKO win over Johnson and earning “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night” bonuses for a contest that won several “Fight of the Year” polls for 2017.
Every UFC fight Gaethje has been involved in since has been viewed with anticipation as he has one of the most fan-friendly styles in the history of not just the UFC but all of MMA. Gaethje might not win every time he steps into the octagon, but he is a fighter always looking to earn a stoppage win and entertain the fans. His 12 fight-night bonus awards in 12 UFC outings can attest to that.
Gaethje won the interim UFC lightweight crown in May 2020 with a knockout win over Tony Ferguson. However, he failed to unify the belts, losing to then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission in October of that year. Gaethje also fell short in his second try at winning the UFC 155-pound belt, dropping a submission to Charles Oliveira for the vacant title in May 2022.
Gaethje bounced back from that loss with his majority decision victory over Fiziev at UFC 286. A fight that earned both men “Fight of the Night” honors. Geathje’s most recent win was his “Performance of the Night” bonus-winning outing over Poirier.
Gaethje has 20 career knockout wins, one submission victory, and he’s been on the right side of four decisions. The BMF champ’s career losses have come by knockout (three) and submission (two).
He is coming off a fight-of-the-year nominee for 2024, his UFC 300 KO loss to Max Holloway. Gaethje is the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: Rafael Fiziev of Kazakstan is seen on stage during the UFC 313 press … [+] conference at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Rafael Fiziev (12-3) joined the UFC in 2019. At the time he had a 6-0 record with six stoppages (five knockouts and one submission), with all but one of those fights ending in the first round. Fiziev’s UFC debut ended 86 seconds into the first round when he caught a spinning back kick from Magomed Mustafaev, who had not fought for more than two years.
Fiziev bounced back from his first career loss by going on a six-fight unbeaten streak. He climbed the rankings during that run, which began with an October 2019 decision win over Alex White and ended with a July 2022 knockout win over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Fiziev picked up five fight-night bonuses during that stretch.
With his impressive run, Fiziev earned the No. 6 spot in the official UFC rankings. His reward was a matchup against Gaethje in the co-main event of UFC 286. Fiziev entered that bout as a -230 betting favorite over the +195 Gaethje.
The two put on a striking battle over three rounds in front of an appreciative crowd in London that evening. In the end, Gaethje earned the majority decision win. In his next outing, Fiziev faced Mateusz Gamrot in a UFC Fight Night main event. That contest ended abruptly in the second round when Gamrot scored a TKO win after Fiziev planted his leg to throw a kick and dropped to the canvas.
Fiziev has not fought since he tore his ACL in that contest, even though he was cleared for action in September 2024. Despite his inactivity, Fiziev is the No. 11 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings.
UFC 313 Results: Winners
Joshua Van: Joshua Van moved to 6-1 in his UFC career with a win over Rei Tsuruya. The 23-year-old had some issues with the wrestling of Rei Tsuruya on Saturday, but his striking and ability to defend takedowns and work back to his feet when he was taken down earned him the win. Van’s cardio also needs to be noted, as he did not fade under the relentless pressure of his opponent.
Van is a young fighter, but he is a flyweight prospect to watch.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 08: (L-R) Rei Tsuruya of Japan trades punches with Joshua Van of Myanmar … [+] in a flyweight fight during the UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Brunno Ferreira: Brunno Ferreira showed he is a mixed martial artist at UFC 313. Ferreira did not have the technical striking skills of his opponent on Saturday, Armen Petrosyan, so he decided to give his grappling abilities a go in the second round. That was a wise choice.
Ferreira blasted a takedown and worked to Petrosyan’s back. From there, he searched for a choke, but Petrosyan seemed to be slipping out of the hold, but the Brazilain slickly transitioned to a fight-ending armbar.
With the submission win, Ferreira bounced back from an October 2024 submission loss to Abus Magomedov.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 08: (R-L) Brunno Ferreira of Brazil reacts to his submission of Armen … [+] Petrosyan of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Carlos Leal: Carlos Leal was the biggest betting favorite on the UFC 313 fight card, and he looked fantastic in disposing of Alex Morono before the end of the first round of their welterweight battle.
Leal was flat-footed and looked to land everything with power from a distance. However, he was not interested in only fighting at range; he was also incredibly effective in close, tying up his opponent and blasting him with knees and elbows in the clinch.
By the middle of the first round, Morono seemed frustrated. By then, he was winging wide hooks, which only allowed Leal to connect with ease.
Leal, who lost his UFC debut, looked excellent at UFC 313.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 08: Carlos Leal of Brazil reacts to his win in a welterweight fight during … [+] the UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Djorden Santos vs. Ozzy Diaz: Djorden Santos and Ozzy Diaz put on a spirited bout to open the UFC 313 fight card. The two middleweights fought with different styles. Santos was all output, forward pressure and power, while Diaz was more technical and fought behind an active jab.
Santos seemed to want to force Diaz into an all-out war, but Diaz didn’t bite. Santos was good when he moved forward, but he struggled to fight off his back foot, which Diaz took advantage of in the second and third rounds.
The striking might not have been top-notch boxing in this one, but the crowd and the commentary team loved the action.
In the end, Diaz won the bout via split decision.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 08: (R-L) Ozzy Diaz punches Djorden Santos of Brazil in a middleweight … [+] fight during the UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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UFC 313 Results: Losers
Bobby “King” Green: Bobby “King” Green is known for keeping his hands low. Green is usually able to get his guard up before he catches power strikes. His defense failed him on Saturday when Mauricio Ruffy caught him with a perfect wheel kick that dropped Green to the mat at the 2:07 mark of Round 1.
Rei Tsuruya: Rei Tsuruya is a very good wrestler with incredible cardio. The problem for the 22-year-old fighter, who was 10-0 heading into UFC 313, is that he is competing in MMA. At this point in his career, Tsuruya is a one-trick fighter. He needs to develop a striking game to set up his wrestling. This fight may be a sign that he needs to become more well-rounded.
At his young age, Tsuruya has a lot of time to develop. He has a fantastic base; he just needs to add some wrinkles to his game.
Armen Petrosyan: Armen Petrosyan is on a three-fight losing skid following his submission loss to Brunno Ferreira at UFC 313. Petrosyan is a talented technical striker, but two of his three straight losses have come via submission.
Alex Morono: Alex Morono is on the first two-fight losing skid of his MMA career following a one-sided TKO loss to Carlos Leal at UFC 313. Morono had nothing to offer the powerful and effective Leal on the feet, and by the middle of the round, he seemed resigned to losing the bout, just hoping to catch his opponent with a winging hook. When that failed Morono’s only hope seemed to be a mercy stoppage from the referee, which came at the 4:16 mark of the first round.
UFC 313 Full Fight Card Results
UFC 313 Results: Pay-Per-View Card
Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev Jalin Turner vs. Ignacio Bahamondes Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Maurício Ruffy defeats King Green via knockout at 2:07 of Round 1 (Wheel kick to head at distance)
UFC 313 Results: Preliminary Card
Joshua Van defeats Rei Tsuruya via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3) Brunno Ferreira defeats Armen Petrosyan via submission at 4:27 of Round 2 (Armbar from bottom guard) Carlos Leal defeats Alex Morono via TKO at 4:16 of Round 1 (Punches to head in clinch)
Mairon Santos defeats Francis Marshall via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 313 Results: Early Preliminary Card
Ozzy Diaz defeats Djorden Santos via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
UFC 313 Results: Video Highlights
UFC 313 Results: Fight Night Bonuses
UFC 313 Results: Official Scorecards
UFC 313 Scorecards: Van vs. Tsuruya
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UFC 313 scorecards: Santos vs. Marshall
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UFC 313 Scorecards: Diaz vs. Santos
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UFC 313 results, reactions, video highlights, scorecards, winners and losers and more will be updated live throughout tonight’s UFC 313 card.
