Athletes
Magomed Ankalaev's Long And Winding Road To The Top
When Magomed Ankalaev Arrived In The UFC, He Was Immediately Tipped For The Top. But He's Had To Deal With A Few Obstacles Along The Way.
Magomed Ankalaev will hope the second time's the charm when he challenges for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 313.
Ankalaev will challenge reigning champion Alex Pereira in the main event in Las Vegas on March 8 as the Russian contender looks to convert his immense potential into a championship reign at 205 pounds.
Victory over Pereira would represent the completion of a journey that saw Ankalaev encounter some unexpected, and unusual, obstacles as he has followed his quest for championship glory inside the Octagon.
A Reality Check
When Ankalaev arrived in the UFC in 2018, Dagestani MMA was already established on the world stage, thanks to the success of Khabib Nurmagomedov. But, while Khabib brought relentless wrestling and a suffocating top game to the Octagon, Ankalaev arrived with something a little different – heavy-handed finishes.
When he made the walk for his UFC debut, Ankalaev was an 8-0 prospect and a former WFCA light heavyweight champion riding a three-fight knockout streak.
Standing in his way was Scottish grappler Paul Craig, who was coming into the bout on the back of consecutive first-round knockout losses to Tyson Pedro and Khalil Rountree Jr.
To many, it looked like the bout was a foregone conclusion, with a confident Ankalaev expected to steamroll Craig and get his UFC career off to a winning start.
And, as the seconds counted down in the final round of their bout in London at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov, that assessment was looking pretty accurate. Until disaster struck for the Russian newcomer.
With Ankalaev in top position, raining down ground-and-pound on a seemingly trapped Craig as the 10-second clapper sounded, a shutout decision win looked a formality. But Craig threw up his legs and locked up a triangle choke in a last-gasp bid to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Magomed Ankalaev | Greatest Hits
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Magomed Ankalaev | Greatest Hits
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All Ankalaev had to do was ride out the remaining few seconds, but incredibly, with one second to go, he tapped. It ended his dreams of a dominant victory in his UFC debut and evaporated his undefeated record. But, more importantly, it lit a fire under Ankalaev, who was determined to put things right on his next appearance.
Judging by what happened next, it's fair to say Ankalaev did.
Hitting His Stride
In his next five outings, Ankalaev stopped four of his opponents with strikes, with only Klidson Abreu surviving to see the scorecards.
He demolished Marcin Prachnio in less than a round, closing the show by dropping the Polish fighter with a head kick, then finishing him with nasty ground-and-pound for a Performance of the Night finish.
And, following his decision win over Abreu, he went into the pocket and traded heavy shots with Dalcha Lungiambula. Eventually, after sapping the powerhouse's gas tank, he got the knockout he was chasing, courtesy of a nasty front kick and an academic follow-up shot.
That earned him a bout against the always-aggressive Ion Cutelaba. He finished the Moldovan in just 38 seconds, with Ankalaev's TKO finish vociferously protested by Cutelaba after the bout was waved off.
Order UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev
Rather than moving Ankalaev up the ranks for his next bout, the UFC's matchmakers instead asked Ankalaev to run it back with Cutelaba. While the return bout may have lasted a little longer, the result was even more emphatic, as he knocked out Cutelaba late in the first round to eliminate any doubt over which fighter should move up the light heavyweight ladder.
Those victories propelled Ankalaev into the upper echelon of the light heavyweight divison, where he defeated ranked contender Nikita Krylov, then added the scalps of former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith to put him within touching distance of a title shot.
A Dream That Turned Into A Nightmare
With the Russian riding the crest of a wave, on a nine-fight win streak, the time was right for him to challenge for championship gold, as he took on Poland's former champion Jan Blachowicz in the main event of UFC 282 in Las Vegas in December 2022.
It was a bout many thought would mark the start of a new era in the 205-pound division. But, after five rounds, the judges couldn't agree on a consensus winner. The split-draw verdict left everybody frustrated, with both men leaving the cage without the title, and the UFC still without a champion.
"Well, the judges made their decision. But anybody who saw the fight today, in the arena or anywhere else in the world, they know who won the fight, they know who won the title," he told UFC.com backstage after the fight.
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"I think I did everything I had to do to become a champion. I think I got the victory. But hey, the judges took their decision. That's what they did. I think I'm going to keep working, keep doing my job, and I'm going to take what's rightfully mine."
Ankalaev went back to the drawing board and was eventually handed a UFC 294 bout with Brazilian contender Johnny Walker. Victory for Ankalaev may have put him right back into the title conversation again, but after an accidental illegal knee left Walker unable to continue, the fight was waved off and ruled a no-contest.
It left Ankalaev in limbo, and on a bizarre two-fight winless run. The man who headed into his title fight with Blachowicz with the most momentum in the division had suddenly lost it all, despite not losing a fight.
Full Fight | Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker 2
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Full Fight | Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker 2
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Getting Back To Business
Given the nature of the result against Walker, a rematch was ordered for January 2024, and Ankalaev was determined to ensure that there would be no doubt in the second bout.
A huge, highlight-reel knockout from Ankalaev put the rocket boosters back on his title aspirations as he claimed an attention-grabbing win, a Performance of the Night bonus, and an Abu Dhabi showcase against fellow contender, Aleksandar Rakic.
While the fight with Walker offered an opportunity to add to his highlight reel, Ankalaev's bout with dangerous, rangy striker Rakic offered a very different sort of test for the Russian contender.
And, while he was noticeably more cagey in his approach, Ankalaev grew into the contest as he bounced back from losing the first round on all three scorecards to win Rounds 2 and 3 to claim a hugely-important unanimous decision victory and put him right back into the title picture once more.
He had to do it the hard way, but Ankalaev had worked his way back to the top of the contender list once again.
Time To Complete The Job
Now, more than two years on from his first title tilt, Ankalaev has another shot at UFC light heavyweight glory at UFC 313 in Las Vegas.
But, standing in his way is reigning champion Alex Pereira, who has never lost at 205 pounds, and has finished all four of his title fights inside the distance in violent fashion.
Despite the trials and tribulations of his recent career, Ankalaev will head into the bout on a 13-fight win streak, and a burning desire to put things right in his second UFC championship tilt.
Will Ankalaev finally reach his destination, or will his long and winding road to the top throw up an unexpected detour once again? We'll find out on Saturday, March 8 at T-Mobile Arena.
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!