How Long Will Magomed Ankalaev Rule The Light Heavyweight Division?

How Long Will Magomed Ankalaev Rule The Light Heavyweight Division?

The UFC Light Heavyweight Division has a new champion. At UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev defeated Alex Pereira to win the title. Now, it’s time to evaluate if Ankalaev can defend the title.

Magomed Ankalaev’s Skills

Ankalaev is going to be a difficult fighter to beat. That is because he does not have any clear holes. He has shown durability, cardio, striking skills, and solid grappling. This is not a situation where fighters with certain skill sets will be highly favored against Ankalaev.

Ankalaev has shown to be a quality striker. On the outside, he throws straight punches and has respectable kicks. Additionally, he hits hard when he lands strikes. In the grappling realm, he has had offensive wrestling success at certain points in his career. A lot of his grappling success depends on his willingness to commit to offensive wrestling. At a minimum, he will difficult matchup for grapplers because he will not be easy to takedown.

Overall, Ankalaev has the skills to be a quality champion. The biggest concern will be his ability to fight intelligently against every opponent. Although, he will have the skills to defeat every fighter he competes against. That does not guarantee victory, but he will never be a massive underdog during his title reign.

Potential Challengers

The UFC light heavyweight division is not packed with elite title challengers. Rather, the division has a small handful of worthy challengers.

Ankalaev’s first fight as champion will likely be a rematch against Pereira. UFC CEO Dana White has stated that the fight is ‘probably’ next. Ankalaev has shown that is a winnable bout. If anything, he may have more success in a rematch. He is the younger fighter and could adjust his game plan to have more grappling success.

The most likely title contender behind Pereira is Jiri Prochazka. The former champion has been trending toward a title fight with his recent victory over Jamahal Hill. That is a challenging test for Ankalaev. Prochazka commits to pressure and offense. Plus, he has shown his chin is still capable of allowing him to fight in that manner. That is a tough fight for Ankalaev.

The other probable challengers at light heavyweight are Hill, Khalil Rountree, and Carlos Ulberg. The UFC Kansas City main event between Hill and Rountree will put one of the two in position to fight for a title. Meanwhile, Ulberg has a chance to rise the rankings as he is booked to fight Jan Blachowicz.

Hill has the best chance to defeat Ankalaev out of the aforementioned fighters. Despite his recent slide, he has power, cardio, and respectable defensive grappling. A lot of his future success depends on his ability to back back from injuries and return to form. That is never a guarantee.

Rountree and Ulberg both provide interesting challenges for Ankalaev, but the champion should be heavily favored in both matchups. In those fights, he would have a decent grappling edge. Plus, he could compete with both fighters in the striking realm.

One interesting note about the light heavyweight division is that it lacks interesting prospects. That should help extend Ankalaev’s title run. Hypothetically, if he holds the title for two years, a lot of his biggest challenges will be the same fighters. In that period it would be a shock if the UFC developed one light heavyweight prospect deserving of fighters for the title. The only way that changes is if the UFC hits the free agent market or a high-level middleweight moves up a weight class.

UFC 313: Five Things We Learned

The Verdict

Ankalaev has a combination of factors that could help him defend the UFC light heavyweight title for a long period of time. At 32 years old, has quality skills, limited flaws, and does not compete in a talent-rich division.

The potential downside regarding a potential title reign is the light heavyweight division is difficult and features a lot of heavy hitters. The volatility of the division creates opportunities for Ankalaev to get upset. That is especially true when he is projected to fight Pereira and Prochazka.

Ultimately, a fight against Prochazka could determine Ankalaev’s title run. That will be the most difficult fight on his upcoming schedule. If he wins, he has a chance to put together a lengthy title run. If I were forced to pick an outcome, I’d lean toward Ankalaev defending the title multiple times. That said, it only takes one punch for an opponent to stop that title run.

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