UFC veteran Anthony Smith recently shed some light on the shifting dynamics of the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Alex Pereira recently defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307. This has solidified Pereira’s position as the champion at 205 pounds. This made fans and analysts curious about who his next challenger might be. Anthony Smith has an idea.
Anthony Smith recently sat down to have a conversation with reporter Mike Bohn. During their conversation, Smith suggested a surprise could happen in his division. He said if Magomed Ankalaev fails to dominate Rakic convincingly—if he “lays an egg,” as Smith puts it—his path to a title shot could be blocked. Thus, one fighter in particular can overtake Ankalaev as the title challenger.
I wouldn’t count on it because there’s a good chance Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg could have a conversation, or at least some sort of a case to make for that fight… If Volkan Oezdemir goes in there and finishes Carlos Ulberg, I think he has a great case to make for a title shot.
Anthony Smith via The Bohnfire podcast
Magomed Ankalaev is a top contender in the division. However, Smith pointed out that Ankalaev has already disappointed UFC officials in the past. His split draw against Jan Blachowicz in 2022 led to a frustrated Dana White publicly criticizing their lackluster effort. It is doubtful that he could secure a title shot without delivering a standout performance against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308.
Anthony Smith nominates a surprise name who could sneak into the next title bout vs. Alex Pereira 🤔
“If Volkan Oezdemir goes in there and finishes Carlos Ulberg, I think he has a great case to make for a title shot.”
(via @MikeBohn) pic.twitter.com/WUrM8RQ1kD
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 10, 2024
Volkan Oezdemir has been on an upward trajectory with three wins in his last four fights, including a first-round knockout of Johnny Walker. Oezdemir is scheduled to fight Carlos Ulberg in November, and a win could propel him into title contention if Ankalaev stumbles. Smith believes the UFC might prefer a fresh challenger like Oezdemir if Ankalaev puts on another lackluster performance.
Aljamain Sterling stands up for Magomed Ankalaev’s title shot
Magomed Ankalaev is on a 12-fight unbeaten streak. He will face Aleksandar Rakic this October at the Etihad Arena in UAE. There was already some controversy when #8 ranked Khalil Rountree Jr. got the title shot against Alex Pereira at UFC 307. Now, former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling spoke up on social media to take a stand for the Dagestani fighter.
Aljamain Sterling took to X and sent out a tweet about how Magomed Ankalaev deserves the title shot. Retweeting the clip of the conversation between Mike Bohn and Anthony Smith, Sterling wrote that if Ankalaev did win at UFC 308, it would be “foul af” to deny him the title shot.
If Ankalaev wins, that would be foul af to deny him. It gets to a point where winning has to matter. https://t.co/dUkwoMarDK
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) October 10, 2024
Additionally, Smith mentioned that if Rakic wins his fight against Ankalaev, he could leapfrog others to secure a title shot. Pereira has already shown interest in facing Rakic. The UFC’s light heavyweight division is thus at a crossroads, with several fighters competing for a shot at Pereira’s belt. It will be interesting to see who ‘Poatan’ takes on next for his fourth light heavyweight title defense.
