Magomed Ankalaev has demanded respect from the UFC after his second round TKO win over former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith at UFC 277.
Ankalaev extended his winning run to nine in a row with his most recent victory, and now sits at the number three spot in the light heavyweight rankings, behind Jan Blachowicz and number one ranked Glover Teixeira, who most recently lost his title to Jiri Prochazka in one of the greatest fights in the division’s history.
In a recent video on social media, Prochazka called for a rematch with Teixeira as he believes his win wasn’t convincing enough. He wants to prove that he is clearly better than the Brazilian. If that fight takes place, both Blachowicz and Ankalaev will have to wait for their opportunity, or fight one another in a potential title eliminator, which makes a lot of sense. With a nine-fight winning run however, the Dagestani believes he doesn’t get the respect that he deserves.
Magomed Ankalaev Hopes For A Title Shot
During the UFC 277 post-fight press conference (as transcribed by MMA Junkie), Ankalaev said that the UFC needs to respect him more now.
“I think I should already deserve respect. They should respect me,” Ankalaev said. “Not a lot of people have a nine-fight winning streak, and Jiri Prochazka got the title shot after two wins, and after nine I got nothing.”
Although Ankalaev hopes for a title shot next, he won’t sit around and wait for it as he said that he would fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him.
“If UFC would hear me, it would be a different story, but I’m not asking for anything,” Ankalaev said. “I’ll just wait to see what they propose to my managers, and I’ll take any fight.”
Who do you think Magomed Ankalaev should fight next?
