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Ankalaev is 10-0-1 with one no contest in his last 12 Octagon appearances, but the Dagestani standout won’t be facing reigning champion Alex Pereira at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Instead, that opportunity went to Khalil Rountree, who has won five straight in UFC competition but also recently failed a drug test.
“Certain fighters have a long road to the title, like Khabib [Nurmagomedov], like Kamaru Usman, like Islam Makhachev. But when they get there, they become dominant,” Abdelaziz recently told ESPN. “Listen, the UFC has different views about what they want to do with Alex Pereira. They want him for Utah. Magomed Ankalaev will fight in Abu Dhabi, in his market he fights in. Magomed has a new deal he’s very happy with. He deserves a title shot.”
Ankalaev, who is coming off a second-round knockout of Johnny Walker at UFC Fight Night 234, will face Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26. If he wins that fight, as Abdelaziz expects, perhaps his next championship opportunity will arrive. The Dominance MMA founder is confident that Pereira will also take care of Rountree at UFC 307, setting the stage for a “Poatan” vs. Ankalaev showdown sometime next year.
“It’s bulls--t he’s not getting a title shot. ‘He just fought for the title, too.’ This is kind of what the UFC said. But the reality, I believe he’s the best light heavyweight on the planet,” Abdelaziz said. “I know it, you know it, Dana White knows it, Mick Maynard knows it. Alex Pereira became a big star – you can’t take this away from him. The guy is always game to fight. But every road has an end. Magomed Ankalaev will handle business, Alex Pereira will handle business, and these two guys will fight in 2025.”
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