Jamahal Hill anticipates a close fight between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, ultimately siding with Ankalaev due to his diverse skill set and counter-striking ability, despite acknowledging Pereira’s striking power and improvements in MMA.
Jamahal Hill is anticipating a nail-biter between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. But he’s got a hunch that Bruce Buffer will end the night with a classic “and new” announcement.
Hill, who couldn’t reclaim the UFC belt against “Poatan” in 2024, dissected the championship bout on his YouTube channel. He’s backing Ankalaev for the win come March 8.
“I’m gonna get hate for this one — but I get hate anyway, f*ck y’all,” Hill quipped. “I’m leaning towards Magomed. Just a gut feeling he’s got more tools to clinch it.”
Sure, Alex has that knockout punch. But Hill believes Magomed’s got speed, patience, and countering skills on his side. Having lost the title once, Magomed might be laser-focused this time around.
Rewind to 2022: Ankalaev fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title, ending in a draw. Fast forward a month, Hill snagged the title from Pereira’s buddy Glover Teixeira in Brazil but had to vacate due to injury.
Pereira nabbed the belt in 2023 and defended it thrice with knockouts. Despite personal beef with Ankalaev, Hill thinks he was unfairly skipped for a title shot in favor of Khalil Rountree in 2024.
“I’ve mulled over this fight scenario,” Hill shared. “Jumped back into camp seven months post-Achilles injury to avoid Magomed facing Pereira before me.”
Hill acknowledges both fighters have their arsenals. Pereira’s fresh love for MMA and relentless work ethic make him formidable. He’s always grinding, learning, and staying in shape—never straying far off course.
His power? Unquestionable. Inside the cage, his pressure is palpable compared to what you see on film. Those low kicks and unique tweaks to his techniques are lethal.
Even when Khalil dropped him momentarily, Pereira’s rapid question mark kick nearly landed flush—had Khalil not been shorter. Pereira’s striking pedigree is legendary not just in MMA but also in kickboxing history.
Yet, Hill feels Ankalaev’s striking prowess is underrated by the MMA community. Though not a former dual champ like Pereira, Ankalaev boasts six knockouts out of 11 UFC wins.
“Magomed’s striking is seriously being slept on here,” Hill emphasized. “Pereira likes to pressure from outside, but Magomed counters strategically.”
Being a southpaw adds another layer of complexity for Pereira to navigate early on. Size-wise, Magomed matches up well against Pereira—a factor that could negate some of Pereira’s usual advantages.
Hill suggests Pereira use low kicks and body jabs to provoke mistakes from Ankalaev while working on combinations rather than banking on a single knockout punch.
Wrestling could be pivotal if Pereira tries cornering Ankalaev against the cage. Hill advises patience and readiness for counters as Magomed’s reach and combo variety could turn the tide.
“Be patient,” Hill advises Magomed. “If Alex comes out gun-shy or hesitant like against Jiri [Prochazka], that’s when wrestling can shift control.”
Early dominance by Magomed could force Alex into risky positions, opening up counter opportunities. The potential for a counter knockout by Magomed looms large—an intriguing possibility as fight night approaches.