ABU DHABI – Alex Pereira might have his next title challenger.
At UFC 308, Magomed Ankalaev added another victory to a resume viewed by many to already be title shot-worthy when he defeated Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). The light heavyweight bout took place on the main card at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
As he referenced in the lead up to the bout, Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) didn’t feel he needed a finish in order to earn a championship crack. During Saturday’s fight he utilized all 15 minutes to find victory.
It was a classic Ankalaev performance full of technical striking, kicks, and clinch work. The gap between him and Rakic (14-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) wasn’t large, but it was evident and consistent.
After the fight, Ankalaev pointed to Rakic for the lack of action in the bout and voiced his opinion that Rakic was the one evading exchanges.
“I think I’ve done everything to earn the title shot,” Anakalaev said. “I’d like to talk to Alex. I’d like to tell him stop running away from me. We should fight. That’s what everybody wants to see.”
Ankalaev has not lost in 13 fights since his UFC debut in March 2018. Many fans and media members predicted Ankalaev would be Pereira’s most recent title challenge, but the promotion elected to go with Khalil Rountree instead.
Entering the fight, Ankalaev said the UFC told him a title shot would come with victory, though UFC CEO Dana White has yet to publicly confirm that.
In defeat, Rakic falls into a three-fight skid. He entered the bout off TKO losses to Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 308 results include:
- Magomed Ankalaev def. Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Lerone Murphy def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shara Magomedov def. Armen Petrosyan via TKO (spinning backfist) – Round 2, 4:52
- Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:51
- Geoff Neal def. Rafael dos Anjos via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 1:30
- Mateusz Rebecki def. Myktybek Orolbai via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Abus Magomedov def. Brunno Ferreira via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:14
- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:27
- Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
