Athletes
Magomed Ankalaev’s 7-Year Unbeaten Streak Stands Strong
Light Heavyweight Champion Magomed Ankalaev Is Arguably Underappreciated As He Seeks His First Title Defense At UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2
Magomed Ankalaev has always felt quite a bit underrated, and although the Russian now carries the light heavyweight belt, his dominance in the Octagon still feels underacknowledged. Some of this comes down to odd luck. Extended and controversial sagas against Ion Cutelaba and Johnny Walker stymied his momentum, and his last-second submission loss to Paul Craig remained a bugaboo on his resume for years.
On October 4, though, he is the man who will make the final walk of the night as he looks to thwart Pereira’s bid to get his belt back at UFC 320 in Las Vegas.
WATCH: Magomed Ankalaev's Playlist On UFC FIGHT PASS
While no fight fan was necessarily surprised he unseated “Poatan” in their first fight at UFC 313 six months ago, the performance left some wanting. Granted, it wouldn’t be the first case of an athlete not receiving their flowers while they are at their height. There were plenty of critics around fighters the general public now looks upon fondly, and Ankalaev, whose current unbeaten streak sits at 14 bouts, seems destined for that sort of late-stage appreciation.
Full Fight | Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira 1
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Full Fight | Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira 1
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Finishing fights, however, is always a beneficial move. Of Ankalaev’s 20 professional wins, 10 came via knockout, and six of those came in the Octagon.
One of his best came against Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs Kattar in November 2019. Ankalaev managed the distance well against his marauding foe until the final frame, when he uncorked a wicked front kick to Lungiambula’s chin. That win earned Ankalaev his third straight win and his second Performance Bonus in three fights, and it seemed like a new light heavyweight contender was coming into his own.
WATCH: UFC 320 Countdown
His momentum was stalled through no fault of his own when the referee prematurely halted his bout with Ion Cutelaba when Cutelaba attempted to play possum. Rematches were scheduled twice but scrapped twice when Cutelaba tested positive for COVID-19 on both occasions. They finally settled their business at UFC 254, where Ankalaev showed the levels between them, knocking Cutelaba out in the first round, earning another Performance Bonus.
Three consecutive decision wins over Nikita Krylov, Volkan Oezdemir, and Thiago Santos (his first main event assignment) positioned Ankalaev firmly in the elite at 205 pounds. A TKO win over Anthony Smith at UFC 277 stamped his spot, and when Jiří Procházka vacated the title due to an injury ahead of his scheduled rematch against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282, Ankalaev’s co-main event against Jan Błachowicz was elevated to a 5-round bout for the title. Ankalaev struggled early as the former champion battered his legs, but he adjusted accordingly and won the late rounds with his grappling. Unfortunately for both men, the judges saw no difference between them, ruling the bout a split draw despite some feeling Ankalaev did enough to get the job done.
UFC 320 Full Fight Card Preview
The dissatisfaction carried over into his next fight against Johnny Walker at UFC 294. Instead of jumping right back into the picture a month before Pereira and Procházka fought for the vacant title at UFC 295, he was once again forced into a saga of sorts when he hit Walker with an illegal knee, resulting in a No Contest.
Three months would pass until Ankalaev opened 2024 as the headliner against Walker and promptly dusted the Brazilian via 2nd-round knockout to earn his fourth Performance Bonus. Despite the feeling that he was the clear No. 1 contender to Pereira’s throne, Ankalaev simply put another win in the bank, outscoring Aleksandar Rakić to a unanimous decision win at UFC 308 before finally getting his title fight victory over Pereira five months later.
Rise Of Magomed Ankalaev
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Rise Of Magomed Ankalaev
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In other circumstances, perhaps the general public would praise Ankalaev’s excellence, his efficiency and well-rounded skillset and his no-nonsense demeanor. Instead, he is playing someone who spoils the fun. That, as Kamaru Usman showed when he knocked out Jorge Masvidal in their rematch, can turn with one performance.
On October 4, Ankaalev seeks exactly that, which, as a reminder, would make 15 fights unbeaten.
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 4, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!