UFC 313 Gets Pereira-Ankalaev, Gaethje-Hooker

Alex Pereira, UFC
Alex Pereira, UFC 291 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Eddie Law/Cageside Press

Two huge fights will top UFC 313 in Las Vegas this March.

In the Pay-Per-View card’s main event, light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira will face off against number one ranked Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1NC), while in the co-headliner, lightweights Justin Gaethje (25-5) and Dan Hooker (24-12) will battle it out across five rounds or less.

News of both fights was announced during Saturday’s UFC 311 broadcast.

Alex Pereira (12-2) was the 2024 Cageside Press Fighter of the Year, and defended his belt three times in 12 months to cement himself as a UFC superstar. “Poatan” defeated Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree Jr., topping some of the year’s biggest events, and saving both UFC 300 and UFC 303, neither of which had a main event that could stay together prior to Pereira’s involvement.

Also a former middleweight champ, Pereira is a former kickboxer whose rivalry with Israel Adesanya became the stuff of legend. His takedown defense will need to be top notch against Magomed Ankalaev, however.

The Dagestani has suffered just a single defeat in the UFC, losing to Paul Craig in his promotional debut. A draw with Jan Blachowicz in a forgettable 2022 title fight remains the only other blemish on his record since joining the promotion in 2018.

As for lightweights Gaethje and Hooker, they get the five-round treatment despite being in a non-title co-main event. Not that many fighters will complain. Gaethje, a former interim lightweight champ (and BMF champ), is almost universally recognized as the most violent man in the sport. And if there were awards for such things, Hooker would be up there with him. It might be booked as five rounds, but going the distance would be sheer carnage.

UFC 313 takes place on March 8, 2024 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The following match-ups have been reported for the card:

  • Alex Pereira (c) vs. Magomed Ankalaev – for the UFC light heavyweight championship
  • Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker – five round co-main event
  • Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo
  • Bruno Gustavo da Silva vs. Joshua Van
  • Marion Santos vs. Francis Marshall
  • Osman Diaz vs. Djorden Ribieiro dos Santos
  • Alex Morono vs. Carlos Leal
  • Armen Petrosyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
  • Jhonata Diniz vs. Vitor Petrino
  • Chris Gutiérrez vs. Jean Matsumoto