UFC Hall of Famer makes compelling case for Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch: "There have been worse robberies"

A UFC Hall of Famer recently made a strong case for a Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch after what transpired last Saturday. He noted that it was a somewhat controversial result that should warrant a rematch.

Ankalaev earned a unanimous decision over Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 to become the new light heavyweight champion. The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 in his favor, which was viewed as somewhat controversial on social media.

Following the bout, UFC CEO Dana White disclosed that an immediate rematch is likely to materialize.

During his latest appearance on OverDogs Podcast, UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra shared his thoughts on Ankalaev's win over Pereira and whether an immediate rematch is necessary. Serra mentioned that the result wasn't a robbery, but he believes that if a fight's result is reliant on a final round, perhaps the promotion should book a rematch:

"I remember watching it thinking it came down to the last round but, if it's that close, let them do it again... Ankalaev, everybody thought now [Pereira's] going [against] this grappler, he didn't get him down... If it comes down to one round, there have been worse robberies. I wouldn't call it a robbery, maybe a bad decision... It's always better if you knock the champ out cold but sometimes it goes down to rounds, that's the game we're playing."

Check out Matt Serra's comments below (1:06:32):

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Matt Serra says Dana White appeared to have wanted Alex Pereira to win at UFC 313

During the aforementioned appearance, Matt Serra stated his belief that Dana White wanted Alex Pereira to earn the decision over Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313.

Serra joked that while he was watching the main event, he noticed White's face when he became aware of the result of the main event:

"I saw Dana's face in the back like everybody else like, 'Alright, Ankalaev won'. I don't know any inside sh*t, but I could tell he kinda wanted... Pereira's their guy." [1:07:34]

Check out the official judges' scorecard for Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev below: