Magomed Ankalaev holds unique record as Russian UFC champion after beating Alex Pereira - a feat that eluded Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev

Following his title win over Alex Pereira at UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev has achieved a unique feat, something that hasn't been done by his fellow countrymen. After learning of his accomplishment, Ankalaev issued a statement stating that winning the UFC gold was the most important thing and that he was proud of it.

Ankalaev was successful in his light heavyweight title bid against Pereira this past weekend in the main event of UFC 313. The 32-year-old was able to push the Brazilian into the backseat and secured a unanimous decision win, becoming the new undisputed champion.

During the post-fight press conference, Ankalaev learned that he was the first Russian UFC champion to defeat a reigning champion and win a title. Notably, Petr Yan, Islam Makhachev, and Khabib Nurmagomedov all became champions, but they did it by winning vacant titles.

When asked what he thought about his record, Ankalaev responded by saying that he was pleased to fulfill his dream of being a champion:

''I don't think that it makes it more worthy or less if you take it off of the the active champion or just a vacant belt. I think the most important thing is to be able to fight for the championship and to win the championship, there's no difference.''

Check out Magomed Ankalaev's comments below (1:04:41):

Nurmagomedov and Makhachev quickly joined in the celebrations, congratulating Ankalaev on his victory as another Russian champion on X. 'The Eagle' wrote:

“Congratulations Brother [Magomed Ankalaev] you made a history, it was amazing performance against very tough opponent.”

The reigning lightweight champion praised Ankalaev, writing:

''Another belt goes to Dagestan, Russia Congratulations brother @AnkalaevM Excellent performance''

Screenshots of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev's X posts

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Magomed Ankalaev opens up on his strategy for the Alex Pereira fight

Magomed Ankalaev produced an all-round masterclass and was able to keep Alex Pereira on his toes in their title fight at UFC 313, capturing the 205-pound belt via unanimous decision.

Following his win, Ankalaev took to X and revealed his strategy against Pereira, writing:

''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."