Magomed Ankalaev is on the verge of being in the same conversation as Jon Jones as he prepares for the UFC 313 main event.
UFC light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev will move one step closer to making history in addition to his upcoming title pursuit at UFC 313.
Ankalaev will take on UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in the UFC 313 main event next weekend in Las Vegas. After his first-career UFC title shot resulted in a draw at UFC 282, Ankalaev will look to dethrone Pereira and reel in a new era in the light heavyweight division.
Pereira, Ankalaev, and other light heavyweights are part of a new breed that has taken off since Jon Jones left the division. Jones is now the UFC’s heavyweight titleholder after an 18-fight unbeaten streak during his multiple light heavyweight title reigns.
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Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCMagomed Ankalaev close to passing Jon Jones’ light heavyweight unbeaten streakAnkalaev surged into a top light heavyweight contender after a loss in his UFC debut to Paul Craig in March 2018. Since then, he’s unbeaten through his last 13 fights, including dominant wins over Thiago Santos, Johnny Walker, and Anthony Smith.
A win over Pereira at UFC 313 would move Ankalaev to a 14-fight unbeaten streak in the light heavyweight division. After Jones defeated Dominick Reyes in his final light heavyweight title defense in 2020, he left the division on an 18-fight unbeaten streak, a UFC light heavyweight record.
While Ankalaev still needs a few more wins to match Jones’ UFC record-setting streak, he’s the closest anyone has come to surpassing the record since Jones’ vacation. Pereira, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC today, has only amassed a five-fight unbeaten streak in the light heavyweight division.
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Magomed Ankalaev promises to outstrike Alex Pereira at UFC 313Ankalaev isn’t lacking confidence ahead of the biggest fight of his career at UFC 313. He’s promised to outstrike Pereira, one of the top strikers the UFC has ever seen, a bold claim ahead of the March 8th pay-per-view card.
After Pereira’s appearance at UFC 312, Ankalaev roasted Pereira as a ‘Tiktok chick’, mocking the Brazilian champion’s dance moves. Pereira initially expressed disinterest in facing Ankalaev for his next title defense, but the fight came to fruition in the long run.
Ankalaev earned the light heavyweight title shot by defeating Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 in October. Before the Rakić fight, Ankalaev cemented his spot as a top light heavyweight contender by knocking out Walker in Jan. 2024.
The UFC light heavyweight division has been a bit of a carousel since Jones left the belt vacant. Ahead of UFC 313, Ankalaev is looking to become the next potentially dominant light heavyweight titleholder.
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