Undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will return to action at UFC 313 when he takes on Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev on March 8.

Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC) is ranked No. 1 in the UFC's official light heavyweight rankings. He's undefeated in his last 13 UFC fights and most recently defeated Aleksandar Rakic. Ankalaev previously fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title in 2022, which ended in a split draw.

Despite all his posturing, Alex Pereira will in fact next defend his title against Magomed Ankalaev, and it’s official for UFC 313.

Alex Pereira will make the fourth defense of his light heavyweight title against top contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March.

Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev is finally official. In a matchup long in the making, Pereira defends his UFC light heavyweight title against Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313 on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC announced Saturday.

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (12-2) returns to action at UFC 313 on March 8 to face Magomed Ankalaev (19-1) at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena. As confirmed on the UFC 311 broadcast, Brazil's Pereira looks to make the fourth defense of his 205-pound title against an opponent who hasn't tasted defeat since 2018.

Starting with the challenger, Ankalaev is getting his second crack at the light heavyweight title. His first shot came in December 2022 when he fought Jan Blachowicz to a draw. Ankalaev hasn’t lost since 2018 when he was submitted in the final seconds against Paul Craig.