Magomed Ankalaev is convinced. He’s done enough to earn top contender status in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight division. The 31-year-old Gorets Fight Team member had a triumphant Saturday night. He knocked out Johnny Walker 2:42 into Round 2 of their headlining encounter at UFC Fight Night 234.
This victory was more satisfying for Ankalaev than their first meeting, which ended with no contest. But this win wasn’t just about satisfaction. It was a statement about the Dagestani’s overall skill set. One that might make reigning 205-pound champion Alex Pereira sit up and take notice.
Ankalaev had a clear strategy for the fight. He said, “I could have come out here today and wrestled against Johnny Walker. I could have taken him down right away and won with my ground-and-pound on the ground. But I wanted to send a message. I wanted to stand up and knock him out, and that’s what I did.” He conveyed this through a translator at the UFC Fight Night 234 post-fight press conference.
Ankalaev has a message for Glover Teixeira too. He said, “Don’t waste your time trying to teach your student how to wrestle or grapple. He’s not going to need it. I’m going to come out there, I’m going to stand across from him, and I know that he’s been knocked out before as a middleweight. So, imagine what’s going to happen if I meet him in light heavyweight. Trust me, he’s not going to feel comfortable there.”
Teixeira responded on Twitter, “Great knockout. We will see u soon. #UFCFightNight.”
Ankalaev’s record is impressive. He’s unbeaten in his last 13 Octagon appearances. The no contest against Walker and a draw with Jan Blachowicz are the only blemishes on his ledger during that time. It’s currently unclear if Jamahal Hill, who had to vacate the belt after rupturing his Achilles tendon, will be next in line for a title shot when he returns to full health. Ankalaev thinks he should be above Hill in the championship pecking order.
Ankalaev explained, “I think here the math works out, the way that I’m more deserving of the belt because I have 10 victories, six of them knockouts, and Jamahal Hill has eight fights total in the UFC. So, it’s just clear that I’m a more deserving contender than Jamahal Hill.”
Ankalaev has also promised to put on a show if he gets his desired championship opportunity. He said, “I’ve been considering myself the champ since that fight [against Blachowicz at UFC 282]. For whatever reason, the judges decided that it was going to be a draw and I didn’t get my chance. Now I have a chance again to fight for the title. So if I get to fight against Pereira, I think we’re going to have a great fight. It’s going to be a firefight, it’s going to be an exciting fight, and we’re going to do our job and I’m going to get my title back because I’m already feeling like a champion.”