ABU DHABI – Magomed Ankalaev believes he needs a big change to get to the next level of his career, but it’s not so much a technical improvement.
Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) returns to the cage Saturday on the main card of UFC 294. He takes on Johnny Walker in a key light heavyweight matchup.
This bout with Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) marks the first time Ankalaev will fight since his controversial split draw against Jan Błachowicz for the then-vacant UFC light heavyweight title back in December 2022.
Ankalaev was criticized by both UFC CEO Dana White and fans for not putting on an exciting fight. The Russian now understands that criticism and promises to fight more aggressively in his return.
“I rewatched the fight a couple of times, and there’s no question that I came out the winner at that time, but I understand that it’s not just about wining. It’s about putting on a show,” Ankalaev told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 294 media day. “I think we’ve done a lot of work and corrected the mistakes that we already had. I’m ready to show exciting fights and not just win, but win before the end of the fight.”
Ankalaev was also criticized by Walker in the buildup to UFC 294. The Brazilian claimed that Ankalaev shows “no emotion” and that he doesn’t do enough to promote himself.
Ankalaev said that’s partly consequence of not knowing English, but that he acknowledged he can also do more in terms of out-of-cage antics. On top of fighting more aggressively, Ankalaev promises to be more brash on the mic.
“I understand that doing something crazy like that gets the viewership up, and I’m starting to understand that this is something that is necessary moving forward,” Ankalaev said. “We’re working on it. We’re working on something, so soon you can probably expect a show.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
