Magomed Ankalaev is not happy with the UFC. The top light heavyweight had pushed a title showdown with Alex Pereira for a while now. However, the UFC snubbed him off the opportunity and put him up against Aleksandar Rakic instead. Now, the agitated Russian has sent out a warning to all his future opponents.
Seems like the UFC has pushed the Russian’s buttons enough. Magomed Ankalaev has decided to show everybody that he is the undeniable contender for the title shot at the 205-pound weight class. Ankalaev took to X to pledge that he would smash the face of whoever the UFC puts against him in the octagon from now on.
Now everybody knows I’m not fighting for the title and will fight Rakic in Abu Dhabi. Whoever Mick Maynard gives me I will smash their face so that they can no longer deny me if I do my job impressively. I feel sorry for whoever is gonna fight me from now going forward.
Magomed Ankalaev on X
Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev will face off at UFC 308 this October, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Rakic ranks #5 in the light heavyweight division and is looking to bounce back from recent losses to Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka.
Now everybody knows I’m not fighting for the title and will fight Rakic in Abu Dhabi. Whoever Mick Maynard gives me I will smash their face so that they can no longer deny me if I do my job impressively. I feel sorry for whoever is gonna fight me from now going forward.
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) August 6, 2024
The event will also feature other notable fights, including a featherweight championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. The only loss that Magomed Ankalaev has ever faced in the octagon was against Paul Craig, in his UFC debut. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how long it takes the Russian to win himself a title shot against the Brazilian champion.
Magomed Ankalaev’s only loss in his entire MMA career
Magomed Ankalaev’s only MMA loss came in his UFC debut against Paul Craig back in 2018. It was at UFC Fight Night 127. Ankalaev dominated the fight but lost via submission in the final seconds of the third round. Craig secured a triangle choke with just one second remaining, earning a dramatic victory that many would consider a miracle comeback.
Ankalaev also came close to defeat against Thiago Santos and Jan Blachowicz. He narrowly won a decision against Santos and had a controversial split draw with Blachowicz at UFC 282. The Russian’s biggest skillset is his highly regarded ground game.
Even against Paul Craig, Ankalaev defended multiple submission attempts until the very last second of the fight. Despite these strengths, Pereira has stated that while many praise Ankalaev’s grappling, they might be underestimating his own capabilities on the ground.
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