By Yaseen Jangikhan
The new lightweight heavyweight champion of the world is Magomed Ankalaev. The UFC has another Dagestani champion, which is crazy to think about because they are dominating the UFC right now.
The fight, which was staged at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, featured a strategic duel between Ankalaev’s grappling abilities and Pereira’s striking ability. Pereira started the fight aggressively, throwing devastating calf kicks which disrupted Ankalaev’s momentum in the first round. However as the battle went on, Ankalaev adjusted by reducing distance and using clichés to counter Pereira’s striking advantages.
Despite Pereira’s successful defense of Ankalaev’s 12 takedown attempts, the judges favored Ankalaev due to his domination in the clinch engagements and his higher striking volume. The official scores were 49-46, 48-47, along with 48-47 for Ankalaev.
During the press conference after the fight, Ankalaev displayed confidence in how he performed, criticizing Pereira for appearing overly defensive. He expressed a readiness to fight again. UFC Ceo Dana White suggested a rematch, recognizing the quality of the fight and the ongoing debates among fans and critics. Ankalaev is ready for a rematch and it’s possible we may see one—if not this year, then next year.
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