Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev, Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker announced for UFC 313

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 T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC announced on Saturday.

Fan-favorite lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker clash in the night’s co-main event.

Uncrowned reported earlier this month that Pereira vs. Ankalaev was at work.

Pereira, 37, is Uncrowned’s no. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world and one of the biggest stars in the current MMA landscape. The former two-division GLORY Kickboxing champion was one of 2024’s standout fighters, narrowly missing out on Fighter of the Year honors after going 3-0 with three knockouts for a trio of successful title defenses over Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka and Khalil Rountree Jr.

Also a former UFC middleweight champion, Pereira (12-2) has built a Hall of Fame resume in less than four years under the UFC umbrella — an amazing feat for the Sao Paulo native.

Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC) is undefeated over his last 13 UFC appearances, but struggled to secure another title shot after battling to a majority draw against Jan Blachowicz in a vacant 2022 title fight.

Anklaev, 32, won both of his fights against fellow light heavyweight contenders in 2024, scoring a knockout of Johnny Walker followed by a decision over Aleksandar Rakić.

Gaethje (25-5) is a former UFC interim lightweight champion and former holder of the promotion’s ceremonial BMF title. The 36-year-old was on the receiving end of 2024’s Knockout of the Year at the hands of Max Holloway in his only fight of 2024.

Hooker (24-12) has won three straight fights since an unsuccessful detour to featherweight, defeating the likes of Claudio Puelles, Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot.

Together, the two lightweight veterans have earned 19 UFC post-fight bonuses.