In the world’s most unpredictable mainstream sport, it pays to expect the unexpected. Perhaps unfortunately, this rang especially true on Saturday night at UFC 313. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat was on full display as Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje rematched Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev in the co-main event, while defending light heavyweight champion Alex “Poatan” Periera took on the dark horse of the division, Magomed Ankalaev. Let’s break down what happened and why.
The co-main event was a bit of a crapshoot. Lightweights Gaethje and Fiziev came into this contest with little to no momentum behind them. Gaethje was coming off the most brutal loss of his career, a cinematic last-second knockout at the hands of fellow legend Max Holloway. Aged 36 and coming off of such a devastating defeat nearly a year ago, there were concerns that “The Highlight” had started to overstay his welcome. Being such a violent fighter, perhaps the tolls of war had left him damaged beyond repair. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a crushing loss has marked the beginning of the end. Just look at Tony Ferguson, whose descent began at the hands of Gaethje himself. Fiziev, for his part, wasn’t trending so well either. Coming off of back-to-back losses, there were a lot of unknowns about how he would perform. Taking on a competitor as dangerous as Justin with only 12 days notice only added to those questions. Thankfully for us as fans, this wasn’t a battle between two damaged goods. We got vintage performances from both of them.
“Ataman” started the first round strong, looking remarkably sharp after he was sidelined for the better part of two years due to a knee injury. Considered one of the best Muay Thai fighters on the roster, it was a treat to watch his skillset on full display, unimpeded. He looked crisp as he landed blow after blow to the body throughout the contest, a game plan that had been successfully used by Eddie Alvarez against Gaethje. Shockingly, Fiziev was also able to score a pair of takedowns on Gaethje, which was unexpected in what was supposed to be a striking clinic. Coupled with twice the number of significant strikes, Fiziev comfortably won the opening round.
After the first round, I thought the fight as a whole was a more exaggerated version of the first bout between the two. Fiziev started fast with a clear speed and technical advantage, outpacing his opponent early. Afterwards, Justin started to do his best work. Inquiries about his chin after his last loss were answered as he weathered the storm. He did what he does best, turn a technical matchup into a slugfest, thriving in the chaos. He was willing to take a few licks in order to get his, with more damaging strikes. Towards the end of the second round, Gaethje dropped Fiziev with a beautiful uppercut, very nearly finishing things then and there. The third round was competitive, but it was once again Gaethje dictating the action and causing more damage. Like the first fight, Fiziev started strong but faded, while Justin gained momentum as the fight continued. You could see the fatigue catching up to Fiziev towards the end, likely a result of the lack of time to prepare.
I don’t believe this is a knock on Rafael Fiziev at all. He performed admirably against the #3 ranked lightweight in the world, coming off a crippling injury and only 12 days notice. Against anyone ranked outside of the top five, I like his chances. On the other side, Gaethje is back in a big way. Legends are not treated kindly in this game, and thankfully we don’t have to witness his decline just yet. I would rather not have to stomach another Alexander Volkanovski or Israel Adesanya situation. Perhaps we could see him go the Dustin Poirier route, with a final chance at a title fight before his retirement.
Then came the big kahuna himself, Alex Periera, in the main event. For those unfamiliar with the sport, the stone-faced Brazilian is nearly on par with Conor Mcgregor in terms of star power and influence. His presence is unmatched in the mma game, with an intimidation factor reminiscent of Mike Tyson. Pereira has to be considered one of the greatest athletes in all of combat sports. He is a two-division Glory Kickboxing champion, and a two-division UFC champion. Joining the UFC in 2021, he has defeated five champions and has fought four times in one year, in a climate where many champions are inclined to rest on their laurels. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. In the case of an unstoppable force, what better immovable object in MMA is there than a Dagestani? Magomed Ankalaev, the last true threat at light heavyweight for Alex to face, forced Pereira to meet his match.
When this fight was announced, Ankalaev stated that he would outstrike Pereira. He was universally scoffed at. Outstrike perhaps the best standup artist in the organization? CTE levels of lunacy. Yet, that is exactly what he did. Make no mistake, Ankalaev is no slouch on his feet. He is powerful and crafty, and doesn’t feature as much of a grappling-centric offense as you might expect from a fighter from Dagestan. The fight itself was nothing to write home about. A standoffish, close bout that ended with Ankalaev taking home the hardware in an upset. Due to Pereira’s popularity, fans, including myself, lamented the decision. Having come down to earth a bit as the emotions subsided, I recognized it as the correct decision, although the specific scorecards left much to be desired (49-46? Seriously?)
Alex Periera looked uncomfortable the entire time. He was unable to get his offense going, and for a striker as decorated as Pereira is, he seemed to have trouble reading his opponent. Aside from setting a personal best in the UFC with leg kicks landed, he did not do much else. He was not able to land head strikes, a troubling issue for a fighter with a devastating left hook. The story of the fight was who controlled the center of the cage. Ankalaev walked Alex down nearly the entire time, keeping him on the defensive and with his back to the cage. He forced Pereira against the side of the Octagon, and while he did not land a single takedown, was clearly the aggressor. Now, there are two sides to this. Pereira deserves a ton of credit for defending double digit takedowns. Unlike what the judging seems to suggest, hugging someone against the cage is nothing of significance. Alex deserves more credit for stuffing the takedowns than Ankalaev does in attempting them. Damage, scoring takedowns, and attempting strikes/submission off of takedowns are what matter. Ankalaev did little to none of the above, which is what has folks incensed. I love competitive grappling, but fights like these are objectively boring, and it isn’t a casual take to call out the obvious. Grappling does not mean lack of action, far from it, but it does mean you have to at least score a takedown, which Magomed did not. Otherwise, where is the fight? Certainly not along the fence.
Apart from my frustrations from an entertainment perspective, this was still an interesting fight in terms of the striking. Ankalaev held the edge in the significant strikes department, utilized his front kick appropriately, and even dropped Pereira at the end of the second round. He applied pressure and forced the action, keeping Alex moving backwards and unable to get his offense going. I might not always agree with how the fights are scored, but visually, I understand it. If one athlete is the one moving forward, dictating pace, and outlanding the other (although many strikes that counted for Ankalaev were lackluster due to being pressed against the Octagon) , I understand being inclined to favor him or her. Much as I might love Periera, he had a rather uninspiring performance despite being a walking highlight reel. Chances are, every fighter will come down to earth a bit eventually. Pereira’s track record speaks for itself, and I doubt he will fail to show up twice in a row. Dust off, ice up, and recalibrate. Until then, Chama.
