Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1) lived a tough 2023. He was, for a while, the fighter on everyone’s lips. After losing to Paul Craig in his UFC debut, he went on to win nine fights. He was a legitimate light heavyweight contender and the company rewarded him with a fight for the belt. From there to having to reinvent himself in just a few months. A strange guy to whom strange things happen.
He battled with Jan Blachowicz to be king of the semi-complete and after a strange battle they tied. He started suffering from the leg kicks of the Pole and managed to raise his game. They drew and the Russian was very angry. He promised he would retire. It didn’t happen. And he came back at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, where the weirdness didn’t end.
He met Johnny Walker (16-8) and after a very short fight he threw an illegal knee to the Brazilian. The doctor checked the man from Rio de Janeiro and after asking him where they were, Walker left a comical phrase. “In the desert,” he said. The doctor decided to stop the fight out of fear and Ankalaev chained another fight without knowing the winner. He should have been disqualified, thus sparing himself from an even bigger fall.
Then, the UFC decided to re-schedule Ankalaev and Walker for the first event of 2024, Fight Night 84 at the Apex in Las Vegas, and for the Russian there were few options. He could not afford to let them continue to doubt him. A loss would be dramatic in his career. And he went from the bizarre, to resurgence. Walker came out all guns blazing, pressing and punching. But the Russian was able to bounce back.
Something strange being from Dagestan, home of fighters on the ground. Ankalaev prefers to stand and in the second round he connected with a tremendous right jab that sent Walker to the canvas. From there he would not get up and the Russian, a contender who experienced a dramatic year, had re-emerged. 12 fights without a loss and a message to champion Alex Pereira. “He won’t need to fight on the ground. I’m going to go get him and stand there,” he said. He’s back.
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