Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) had to take the hardest of hard roads to get his chance at gold. Similar to fellow champs Belal Muhammad and Merab Dvalishvili, the long path consisting of a double digit unbeaten streak is what it took for Ankalaev to get his opportunity to challenge Pereira, and he got the job done by unanimous decision.

Alex Pereira didn’t get knocked out by Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, but there was a funereal feel to the end result. Rock stars are meant to go out with a bang, aren’t they?