Tag: magomed ankalaev

UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith has a bone to pick with the oddsmakers having seen the line for his upcoming fight against Magomed Ankalaev.

At UFC 277 late next month, two top-five contenders will look to their stake their claim to the next title shot. Following Ji?í Procházka’s memorable crowning in Singapore, two options for his first defense have been heavily discussed: an immediate rematch with Glover Teixeira or an all-European collision with Jan Blachowicz.

In Dallas on July 30, one of Ankalaev or Smith will likely insert themselves in that discussion, and with an impressive display, perhaps surpass the Brazilian and the Pole in the eyes of the UFC.

The man heavily favored to do so is Ankalaev. The Dagestani has torn through his competition so far in the UFC, amassing an 8-1 record inside the Octagon. The only blemish on that slate came on debut when Ankalaev suffered a submission loss to Paul Craig with just one second left of a fight he was winning.

Having breezed past Nikita Krylov and Volkan Oezdemir, as well as emerged victorious over Thiago Santos in his first main event appearance earlier this year, Ankalaev is tipped for big things, which is reflected in the odds for his fight with Smith.

Per BetOnline.ag, Ankalaev currently sits as a -450 favorite, with “Lionheart” carrying underdog status at +350. Reacting to those odds during an interview with The Schmo, Smith, a former title challenger, branded them as “criminal.”

“+350? Go get your money. +350? That’s crazy,” said Smith. “That’s criminal. Goddamn. You hear that? [gestures behind camera] +350. That is crazy. If I was fighting goddamn Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou at the same time, I (still) shouldn’t be f*cking +350, that’s crazy.”

52-fight veteran Smith has experienced the highs and lows in MMA and has shared the cage with the best during his time under the UFC banner.

Following a failed title bid against Jon Jones and quick rebound victory over Alexander Gustafsson in 2019, “Lionheart” went through one of the rougher patches of his career, losing back-to-back fights in the UFC for the very first time.

But since tough setbacks to former champ Glover Teixeira and top-five contender Aleksandar Raki?, Smith has returned to contention by halting the surge of Jimmy Crute and picking up a pair of main event victories over Devin Clark and Ryan Spann.

With that in mind, Smith is a difficult man to count out, something he’ll hope to prove by spoiling the plans of Ankalaev at UFC 277.

Do you agree with Anthony Smith? Is he being regarded as too big of an underdog for his fight against Magomed Ankalaev?

Continue Reading Anthony Smith Reacts To Odds For Ankalaev Fight: “That’s Criminal” at MMA News.

Stakes will be high in the light heavyweight division at UFC 277, with top contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Anthony Smith set to share the Octagon.

The clash between the rising Dagestani and “Lionheart” is the latest bout featured in leaked pictures of the UFC matchmaking board to be confirmed since the images emerged.

The revelation follows news that Bryan Barberena vs. Robbie Lawler and Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz are set for UFC 276 on July 2, as the board suggested.

The UFC 277 pay-per-view, slated for July 30, does not have a confirmed location, but the leaked war room images listed Dallas, Salt Lake City, Boston, and Chicago as possible host cities for the event. The addition of Ankalaev vs. Smith was confirmed by MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.

Smith (36-16), a former title challenger and the current #5-ranked light heavyweight, has shot back into title contention with three consecutive victories.

After going 1-2 in a trio of bouts following his failed shot at dethroning Jon Jones in 2019, including defeats to current champion Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Raki?, “Lionheart” has rebounded with a pay-per-view triumph over Jimmy Crute, as well as main event victories over Devin Clark and Ryan Spann.

Now, as the 52-fight veteran looks to secure a second opportunity at holding gold on MMA’s biggest stage, “Lionheart” will have to go through a man tipped as a sure-fire future champion.

Ankalaev (17-1), a former WFCA light heavyweight champion and the current #4-ranked UFC contender, has risen into the group of elite at 205 pounds with eight straight wins inside the Octagon. Since falling to a last-second submission loss to Paul Craig on debut in 2018, the 29-year-old has added the likes of Klidson Abreu, Ion Cu?elaba, and Nikita Krylov to his résumé.

In his latest appearance, which marked his main event debut, Ankalaev dispatched former title challenger Thiago Santos on the scorecards. He’ll now be hoping to secure a title shot by adding the name of another elite contender to his impressive record.

Having previously suggested that Ankalaev isn’t the “boogeyman” people say he is, Smith will be looking to prove himself right and halt the fast surge of the Russian on July 30.

The current fights expected to take place at UFC 277 are as follows:

Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Anthony Smith (light heavyweight)

The recent matchmaking leak included a heavyweight contest between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic as the UFC 277 headliner, though it’s unclear if that remains the plan after news emerged that Miocic won’t be ready to return until September.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 277, Magomed Ankalaev or Anthony Smith?

Continue Reading Ankalaev vs. Smith Added To UFC 277 Card On July 30 at MMA News.