Main Card Results | UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev

Pereira came out attacking low kicks as he often does, battering the lead leg of the challenger in the first as each man looked to find their range with punches. Ankalaev was much more confident and forward in the second, landing several sharp punches throughout the frame before wobbling “Poatan” along the fence just before the end of the round. The third was close and competitive, featuring no big moments and each man having small success, with Pereira getting back on the low kicks and Ankalaev staying punch-heavy, connecting a few times and just missing with a couple other heaters.

As we hit the championship rounds, Ankalaev opted to close the distance and clinch with conviction for the first time in the bout, leaning on Pereira along the fence, and continuing to bring the fight to the champion after they were separated, with Pereira showing signs of fatigue. In the fifth, Ankalaev opted to stay in space early and the champion had some success, connecting with a high kick that dazed the challenger and landing enough supplemental strikes to seemingly take the round.

The duo went the distance and when the scorecards were totalled, it was the challenger that emerged victorious, earning the nod on all three scorecards to dethrone the Brazilian finisher. Ankalaev has now won three straight and extended his unbeaten run to 14 with this victory.

This was a competitive bout between the top two talents in the division, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them run it back later in the year.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards

Fiziev threw a curveball to start, dumping Gaethje to the canvas twice in the early stages of the first before getting the better of the striking exchanges, making excellent use of the clinch and working to the body. Gaethje started working his way back into the fight in the second, scoring in the dirty boxing interactions and dropping “Ataman” with an uppercut in tight.

In the third, Fiziev started sharply off the stool, but couldn’t maintain, while Gaethje just remained steady, landing hard shots and largely dictating the terms of engagement down the stretch.

As they did at UFC 286, Gaethje and Fiziev went to the judges on Saturday night as well, and the final outcome was the same, with “The Highlight” collecting another decision win. Gaethje answered all the questions about his durability following last year’s knockout loss at UFC 300, cementing his place in the Top 5 and while continuing to be the most consistent all-action fighter in the sport.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards

Expected to be a striking contest between two of the longest fighters in the lightweight division, Bahamondes initiated the clinch, but ended up on his back as the two men spilled to the canvas. It wasn’t an issue though, as the Valle Flow Striking standout quickly worked back to full guard and then attacked a triangle choke, shifting his angle to sink the hold in deeper and draw out the tap.

That’s now three straight wins, three straight finishes, and victories in six of seven for the ascending 27-year-old. Welterweight champ Belal Muhammad called “Nacho” the best striker in the UFC, but he showed on Saturday that he’s got slick skills on the ground too.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards

Moments after tagging King Green with a right hand that got the veteran’s attention, Ruffy feinted a lead hook and then rotated, landing a spinning wheel kick to the side of the head, knocking him out cold.

This was an absolutely tremendous performance, acing the toughest test of his career in spectacular fashion. Ruffy is now 3-0 in the UFC with a pair of finishes, and is on the cusp of joining his teammates Borralho, Carlos Prates, and Jean Silva in the rankings.

What a finish, and what a run the Fighting Nerds are on right now.

Prelim Results | Official Scorecards