Coach Sukhrab Magomedov accuses Alex Pereira of foul play at UFC 313

The headlining bout of UFC 313 between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev is still one of the hot topics within the MMA community. While some believe that the fight should have gone in favor of Pereira, others believe that Ankalaev deserved the win and is rightfully enjoying the championship belt now. Ankalaev’s coach, Sukhrab Magomedov, talked in a recent interview about how the fighter prepared for the bout and rightfully secured the win. However, one major statement came from the coach, who accused Pereira of foul play during the fight.
On March 8, 2025, the MMA community, including the fans and the critics, witnessed one of the most interesting fixtures in recent times. It was a bout between a champion, who had to defend his title and another, who was aiming to conquer it. Ultimately, Ankalaev overpowered Pereira and became the new light heavyweight champion of the UFC.
The fight was, however, constantly inclining towards both the fighters. In the initial rounds, Pereira landed some of his powerful kicks on Ankalaev, but the Dagestani fighter managed to stand right back up. On multiple occasions, Ankalaev tried to bring down the fight to the ground owing to his wrestling background. However, Pereira could successfully dodge those moves. This is the point where the coach came in to comment on the foul play of Pereira.

“To be honest, the plan from the beginning was to engage in wrestling; get close, in the clinch, wear him down. But when Magomed pushed him to the fence near our corner, it seemed to me that Pereira had some kind of substance on him. If my experience isn’t wrong, that’s what I’d say was the case.” He went on to add, “The sweat didn’t flow off his body; it gelled up. That’s what it looks like on his body, too. Magomed said afterward that he smelled like he had some ointment on and was sticky. Let’s not forget that Glover Teixeira is a veteran of the game and knows all the tricks.”
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While Pereira’s team has not issued any response yet, if the use of any such substance is proved, it might result in an immediate rematch. This would be another hook for the fans waiting for an exciting bout.