Magomed Ankalaev is currently the man of the moment in UFC. The fighter distinguished himself from the crowd on Saturday at UFC 313, when he defeated Alex Pereira to claim the UFC Light-Heavyweight title. Ankalaev's victory made immense reverberations on social media. So much so that he superseded Pound-For-Pound No.1 Islam Makhachev in one aspect.
Also Read | The Inspiration Behind The Tribal Chief Persona : Iconic Film Connection You Didn’t See Coming
Magomed Ankalaev Supersedes Islam Makhachev's Record
Following a gripping pre-fight period, the two fighters finally came face to face inside the ring in the main event of UFC 313. Contrary to what was expected, the fight showcased a measured approach from both ends and followed an exhausting 5-round session, Ankalaev was adjudged the winner on the judges' scorecard. Post the fight, Alex Pereira has drawn severe flak over his performance. Famed UFC commentator Joe Rogan labelled his in-ring act as "uncharacteristic."
'Poatan' was certainly the UFC's biggest active star and his loss was not warmly received by some fans. Although the bulk of the crowd isn't a fan of the Russian's fighting style, Ankalaev's victory over Pereira did result in record social media engagement for the UFC.
So far in 2025, a total of five title fights have transpired in the UFC's Octagon, and each time the UFC social media crew has captured the moment when the champion gets the belt wrapped around them.
Before UFC 313, Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champion, had the most views with their title-winning moment, with 19.1 million.
The number has been surpassed by Ankalaev as his title-winning moment fetched a total of 26.8 million views till now.
Also Read | Dana White Sparks Controversy with Warm Welcome for Andrew Tate at UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira 2: In The Works
Following the bout, Dana stated that an instant rematch between Ankalaev and Pereira would 'probably' take place, given how close the fight was.
Following White's words, Pereira promised his followers that in the rematch, he will make some tweaks' to ensure he reclaims his 205lb belt.
Before the 32-year-old Russian can celebrate his big triumph, Ankalaev has disclosed that he is already in talks with the promotion about a rematch.