Joe Rogan lauds Magomed Ankalaev for neutralizing 'scariest light heavyweight' Alex Pereira at UFC 313: "Did a fantastic job"

Joe Rogan expressed his admiration for Magomed Ankalaev's technically sound performance against Alex Pereira. Ankalaev defeated Pereira by unanimous decision in the UFC 313 main event on March 8, becoming the new light heavyweight champion.

Despite Pereira's reputation for knockout power and elite striking skills, Ankalaev successfully neutralized his offence and kept the Brazilian committed to defence for most of the fight. This approach was a significant departure from the typical style of Pereira's fights, which usually feature highlight reel knockouts and intense striking exchanges.

In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast that aired on March 2025, Rogan shared his insights on the fight, commending Ankalaev for executing an effective game plan that restricted Pereira's capabilities. Rogan said:

"People didn't like it because it wasn't, like, some crazy result like a giant knockout like you get in most Pereira fights. But, he was so technical, and Ankalaev did a fantastic job of shutting down the scariest guy in the division."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (0:26):

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Joe Rogan points out a major perception bias about Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev's finishing abilities

The promotion for Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev largely revolved around Pereira's striking skills and the wrestling threat presented by Ankalaev. However, Ankalaev's diverse skillset proved to be decisive, as he effectively mixed things up and pressured Pereira backward.

Ankalaev also landed the most impactful strikes of the fight, putting Pereira on wobbly legs in the closing seconds of Round 2. In the aforementioned episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan noted that, like Pereira, Ankalaev has also produced impressive finishes, suggesting that his striking prowess was grossly underestimated before UFC 313. Rogan said:

"It was so interesting because the consequences of exchanging with Pereira are so high, but also Ankalaev... Ankalaev has knocked a lot of people out. We always look at Pereira's knockouts, but Ankalaev has knocked out some of the best guys in the division." [0:57]

With the win over Pereira, Ankalaev extended his unbeaten streak to 14, which is the third-longest active unbeaten streak in the UFC, behind heavyweight champion Jon Jones (20) and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (15).