A UFC light heavyweight clash between Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev has been targeted to headline a March UFC Fight Night.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was among the first to report the Santos/Ankalaev matchup that is in the works for March 12. Both men are looking to get back in the light heavyweight title picture as Glover Teixeira will more than likely defend his belt against Jiri Prochazka next.
Santos is coming off arguably a less-than-thrilling win over Johnny Walker in October. He earned the unanimous decision win despite the fight being a bit lackadaisical in terms of volume, especially in the later rounds. Santos snapped a three-fight losing streak to Glover Teixeira, Jon Jones, and Aleksandar Rakic.
Ankalaev is one of the hottest light heavyweight prospects in recent years and is coming off of his dominant win over Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 267. He’s won seven fights in a row against the likes of Ion Cutelaba and Nikita Krylov and will finally get his main event opportunity against Santos.
Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev Are Both In The Running For A Shot at The Title
Santos and Ankalaev promise fireworks in the Octagon. Both like to push forward and push the pace on their opponents, a matchup that will certainly entice fans of the light heavyweight division.
An impressive performance by either man could result in potentially earning the next title shot at 205 pounds. Santos has fought for the belt once, while Ankalaev is still awaiting a chance at UFC gold.
In his last win over Walker, Santos made it clear that he wants another shot at the belt sooner rather than later. A win over an impressive prospect like Ankalaev could give him the opportunity to do so.
What is your early prediction for the rumored Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev fight?