Magomed Ankalaev breaks silence following title win against Alex Pereira, sheds light on gameplan going into the fight

Magomed Ankalaev successfully dethroned Alex Pereira at UFC 313 to become the new light heavyweight champion. Following the fight, Ankalaev has opened up about his fight plan against 'Poatan'.

There were concerns that 'Poatan' would be outclassed by Ankalaev’s superior wrestling and ground game. However, throughout the bout, the Brazilian fighter did not let his foe take the game on the ground.

Till the third round, the bout was mostly striking-based. However, the fourth round was grappling-heavy and uneventful. In the end, Ankalaev secured a win via unanimous decision.

Rewatching his title fight, Ankalaev told supporters on X that he thinks he can outstrike the finest strikers. He also revealed that, per his strategy, he intended to strike with 'Poatan' for the first three rounds. He wrote on X:

"I just watch the whole fight, I can out strike the best strikers. First 3 rounds I made up my mind I will just strike with him, it was so much fun and it was not easy when all your opponent does is running. My pressure today was my best weapon and I’m very happy."

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's tweet below:

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Magomed Ankalaev reveals that he planned to "pressure" Alex Pereira at UFC 313

In response to Alex Pereira's dominant striking, Magomed Ankalaev was advised by his corner to adopt an aggressive strategy at UFC 313. The 32-year-old remained dedicated to his approach to put Pereira under pressure.

Here's what the Russian fighter told Joe Rogan during his post-fight octagon interview:

"The plan was to pressure pressure pressure. Everybody who fights against him always counters but might job was to make sure that I work as number one and everybody who fights against me becomes the counter striker. And my plan worked."

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's comments below (2:38):