UFC 313: Alex Pereira earns the title of “The One, The Only” despite defeat against Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira had a memorable run in the year 2024, while defending his title three consecutive times within a span of 6 months. The Brazilian fighter was finally dethroned on Saturday, 8th of March, by Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. However, despite the defeat, Pereira, because of his legendary streak within the UFC, earned a title formerly owned by only two other fights—Jon Jones and Conor McGregor—“The One, The Only.". The defeat being one of the least expected outcomes of the event has now increased the probability of a rematch between the two fighters, resulting in another fight for the title.
Paired with his undefeated streak in 2024, successfully defending his title three times in just six months, along with his powerful display of skills at major events like UFC 300 and UFC 303, has helped him build a reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters within the division as well as the UFC. The Brazilian knockout fighter became one of the most sought-after figures in the sport, which led to the moment when legendary announcer Bruce Buffer introduced the fighter as “The One, The Only.” The title was previously conferred upon Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, now welcoming Pereira as well into the club.

McGregor first received the introduction in January 2020 and the very night he secured a 40-second TKO victory. Jones later became the second recipient when he stepped back into the octagon at heavyweight to take on Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic. While McGregor triumphed after receiving the title, Pereira suffered a defeat instead, which indicates a mixed result of following the tradition. Even though faced with defeat, the “poatan” remained optimistic and talked about his future course of action.
“I knew this would be a war. Every fight of mine is a war,” he continued to add. "He put some pressure in the second round; I felt some of his strikes—but putting me up against the cage, he didn’t really do anything.”

When the Brazilian fighter was asked if he would take some time off or seek an immediate rematch, he responded, saying, “I am going to keep training. I feel good. I don’t think I am hurt in any way. I will take a few days off and get back to training. This is my life.”
While Pereira didn’t confirm anything about a possible rematch, UFC President Dana White went on to drop some major hint regarding the rematch in the post-fight press conference. White was asked if, after such a fight with a close range unanimous decision, a rematch is something that the fans can expect a rematch anytime soon, to which he replied, “Probably”

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Pereira has proven time and time again that he can bounce back from adversity, and UFC fans will be eager to see how he responds to this latest challenge.