UFC 313
| Company type | Event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | March 8, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (via broadcast) |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 8, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The main event featured a title clash for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship between reigning champion and former UFC Middleweight Champion Alex Pereira—who also held Glory titles at Middleweight and Light Heavyweight—and challenger Magomed Ankalaev, who had previously contended for the belt.
Serving as the co-main event was a five-round lightweight contest initially set to pit former interim UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje against Dan Hooker. However, Hooker withdrew due to a hand injury and was substituted by Rafael Fiziev for a three-round rematch. Their prior encounter at UFC 286 concluded with Gaethje winning by majority decision.
A heavyweight matchup between Jhonata Diniz and Vitor Petrino was removed from the card after Petrino pulled out because of bilateral elbow injuries.
Curtis Blaydes, a former interim title contender in the UFC Heavyweight division, was slated to face promotional newcomer Rizvan Kuniev. This bout was originally booked for UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song but was rescheduled to UFC 313 for undisclosed reasons. Unfortunately, it was canceled just hours before the event due to Blaydes suffering from an undisclosed illness.
A bantamweight fight between Chris Gutiérrez and unbeaten prospect Jean Matsumoto was planned; however, Matsumoto withdrew to take a replacement fight at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song. John Castañeda stepped in as Matsumoto’s replacement in a featherweight bout, but this fight was also called off hours before UFC 313 commenced because of Castañeda’s illness.
In the flyweight division, Bruno Gustavo da Silva was set to compete against Joshua Van but withdrew for unspecified reasons. Rei Tsuruya, winner of Road to UFC Season 2 in the flyweight category, replaced him. This matchup marked the first UFC fight featuring two competitors born in the 2000s.
During the event broadcast, it was announced that former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame under the "modern wing," adding to his earlier induction into the "fight wing" for his title defense at UFC 189.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Middleweight |Brunno Ferreira |def. |Armen Petrosyan |Submission (triangle armbar) |2 |4:27 |}
Bonus awards
The following competitors received $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev
- Performance of the Night: Ignacio Bahamondes and Maurício Ruffy