will finally get his shot at Alex Pereira to determine who’s the best light heavyweight in the UFC. This championship bout scheduled for five rounds is taking place Saturday, March 8 at UFC 313 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) seemingly have been on a collision course, with many fans and experts expecting this fight to happen last year.

Ankalaev hasn’t lost since his UFC debut in 2018 and enters UFC 313 on a 13-fight unbeaten streak after he most recently defeated Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision last October at UFC 308. Ankalaev’s run also includes a surprising split draw result in his only other title shot against Jan Blachowicz in December 2022 at UFC 282.

Pereira, who’s become one of the UFC’s biggest stars in the past few years, enters UFC 313 looking for his fourth consecutive title defense since claiming the 205-pound championship in November 2023. Last year, Pereira finished Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka in a rematch and Khalil Rountree.

With a victory Saturday, Pereira could decide to move up to heavyweight for a potential superfight with Jon Jones.

The UFC 313 lineup consists of 12 fights. Early prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.