UFC light heavyweight star Magomed Ankalaev has demanded a fight to the promotion and called out Jan Blachowicz for a rematch on Twitter. If not Blachowicz, the Russian fighter wants to give Alex Pereira his debut in the 205-pound division.
Hey @ufc , I'm hungry – give me a work to dođ@JanBlachowicz , if you're ready for another fight, show signs of life!
If not, Iâll be more than happy to welcome Pereira to the new weight division and show that there are different levels in this game! pic.twitter.com/1D9phoHjpl— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) May 4, 2023
Magomed Ankalaev took on Jan Blachowicz in his last fight which took place in December at the UFC 282 PPV for the vacant light-heavyweight belt. This matchup was highly controversial as it ended in a draw. In reality, the Russian fighter probably should have won the fight because he landed more significant strikes and had a ground control time of 11 minutes.
https://youtu.be/9hsMcIFB1QQ
With the UFC looking trying to book a fight between 205-pound champion Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka, Ankalaev is in a bad spot. Thereafter his decision to call out Jan Blachowicz for a rematch makes perfect sense as a win would solidify his spot as the number-one contender.
It remains to be seen if UFC greenlights the unfinished bout and if Jan ‘legendary Polish Power’ Blachowicz actually agrees.
How would Magomed Ankalaev fare in a fight against Alex Pereira?
Another name apart from Jan Blachowicz that Magomed Ankalaev mentioned in his tweet was Alex Pereira. This would be an interesting matchup as both fighters have different strengths. Poatan is a type of fighter who likes to stand and use his kickboxing skills. Meanwhile, Ankalaev is a decent striker with good wrestling skills.
Stylistically speaking the Russian light heavyweight has an advantage over Pereira in this matchup as the Brazilian faced a lot of problems defending takedowns in his fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 281. And Izzy is not someone who specializes in wrestling. Therefore Ankalaev would probably try to exploit Pereira’s weakness.
However, this is a risky fight for the Russian light heavyweight as Pereira possesses serious knockout power and can deal a lot of damage with his striking. He has an uncanny kicking technique which could cause Magomed some problems on the feet. As mentioned earlier, Ankalaev has an edge in this matchup but Pereira’s reach advantage and striking will probably make it a fun fight to watch.
Who do you want to see Ankalaev fight next?
