Israel Adesanya thought Alex Pereira had UFC 313 in the bag, but the judges saw it differently. Watching live on his YouTube channel as Pereira lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev on March 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, the ex-middleweight champ unloaded his shock and frustration. Pereira’s knockout streak ended at T-Mobile Arena, and Adesanya’s fiery breakdown sharpens the debate over the decision.
Pereira walked into UFC 313 fresh off a brutal 2024, flattening three foes to lock down his 205-pound belt. Ankalaev, untouched since his 2018 UFC debut loss, crashed the party. A stiff left hook in round two put Pereira down, and Ankalaev kept him pinned to the cage for over five minutes. Judges handed Ankalaev the win with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and a head-scratching 49-46, snapping Pereira’s run at 12-3 and lifting Ankalaev to 20-1-1.
Adesanya’s Raw Call
Adesanya pegged Pereira as the champ before the verdict landed.
“I think it’s ‘And still,’” he predicted as the fight wrapped up. “What a stupid game we play,” he grumbled once the scores hit. The 49-46 tally flipped his lid.
“49-46, what was that? He dropped him. Yeah, won that round too. The holding. He didn’t really do much with the holding. What a stupid game we play. I fcking love it. Stupid fcking game,” Adesanya said.
He unpacked it more.
“I had Alex winning,” Adesanya added. “I’d have to watch it again and score the fight properly. The round two might have played a factor just because he dropped him but then holding against the fence I don’t really remember him getting any takedowns.”
His rollercoaster rant summed up the fight’s wild end.
Why His Words Carry Weight
Adesanya’s not just guessing, he’s tangled with Pereira four times, losing twice in kickboxing and trading UFC wins. He knows Pereira’s power better than most, and his live score favoring Pereira clashes with the judges’ lean to Ankalaev’s control. That 49-46 card has X on fire too, with fans arguing Pereira’s sharper strikes beat Ankalaev’s cage-hugging. Adesanya’s plan to rewatch hints he’s still chewing on it.
Pereira’s drop to 12-3 doesn’t kill his shine. Adesanya’s take fuels rematch talk, and UFC boss Dana White’s post-fight tease keeps Pereira in the spotlight. He’s rebounded before, after Adesanya took his middleweight belt at UFC 287, he jumped to 205 and dominated. Whether it’s Ankalaev again or a fresh challenge, Pereira’s got plenty left to prove.
