Despite being the No. 2 ranked contender at light heavyweight, Magomed Ankalaev will not fight for the division’s top prize.
In a shocking twist, Dana White announced that reigning titleholder Alex Pereira will headline the promotion’s return to Salt Lake City on October 5. But instead of defending his gold against the man everybody thought was next in line, he’ll meet surging knockout artist Khalil Rountree. Suffice it to say, reactions to the matchup were mixed.
While some pundits were quick to praise the pairing, believing it’ll give fight fans a guaranteed banger, others called the matchmaking nonsensical, including ex-champion Jamahal Hill.
As for Ankalaev, the 19-1 fighter was inundated with messages from people offering their support on social media following the title fight snub. However, the lightweight contender doesn’t want your sympathy. Whether it’s for a championship or not, Ankalaev’s goal stays the same — smash everyone the UFC puts in front of him.
“I Received a lot of messages today regarding the Light Heavyweight title fight, my job is to smash people’s face who they put in front of me, I will destroy Rakic in Abu Dhabi and I will not be denied, I don’t need nobody to feel bad for me,” Ankalaev wrote on X.
Magomed Ankalaev meets fifth-ranked contender Aleksandar Raki? next
Instead of challenging Pereira this fall, Ankalaev will square off with another top-five-ranked contender at 205, Aleksandar Raki?. The two will meet at UFC 308 when the promotion heads back to Abu Dhabi on October 26.
After going on an impressive run that saw him win five out of six, Raki? has since come up short in back-to-back bouts against Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka. With a win over Ankalaev, ‘Rocket’ would likely secure his first shot at the light heavyweight strap.
Ankalaev goes into the contest having won 10 straight, including knockouts against Ion Cutelaba, Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith, and Johnny Walker.