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The surging Magomed Ankalaev is on an 8 fight win streak, most recently beating former title challenger Thiago Santos by decision. He's currently being looked at as one of the next in line to get a shot at the light heavyweight title.
With Jon Jones' iron-grip on the title gone, there are a lot of athletes that could possibly top the division in 2022. While the Russian star is on this list, he hasn't had that air of invincibility that some fighters bring into title contention with them.
From losing his debut via last-second submission to most recently having some trouble with Thiago Santos, the 29-year-old is impressive but far from unbeatable. With his next fight most likely being upward in the light heavyweight rankings, the competition is only getting tougher and he may not be quite ready to take on these opponents. Here are 5 UFC light heavyweights who could beat Magomed Ankalaev.
#5. Paul Craig
While their first encounter saw Magomed Ankalaev win most of the fight, Paul Craig grabbed a last-second victory by triangle choke, which remains the lone loss on Ankalaev's record.
The submission wasn't fortuitous, as it's Craig's signature move. He's pulled off a come-from-behind triangle multiple times in his career. This bout took place in 2018, and both fighters have grown so much since then.
The 29-year-old from Russia has complied an impressive 8 fight win streak since and Craig is riding an exciting 5-0-1 in his last six bouts. Both fighters are on absolute tears at the moment,. While Ankalaev has been fighting the bigger names, Craig has been scoring the more emphatic victories.
Ankalaev is a fantastic fighter, but he's probably been a little complacent in recent performances. Craig has a win over Ankalaev and what's even more impressive is that he seems to have really found his footing in his career. He's taken the chances and put himself in uncomfortable positions to better himself, whereas Ankalaev has at times been okay with taking the easy route to victory.
Yes, the Russian keeps winning, but Craig is rapidly catching up to becoming a well-rounded fighter on top of the very weapon that is his grappling. With Craig defeating Nikita Krylov and most of the top 5 being booked, this is a fight that could possibly be next for Ankalaev, and it's a scary match for him.
#4. Aleksander Rakic
The 14-2 Aleksandar Rakic should be a problem for anyone competing in the light heavyweight division. While he did lose a split decision to the former title challenger, Volan Oezdemir, 'Rocket' has dominated two in a row since his lone UFC setback.
Well-rounded and a frequent finisher, Rakic has what it takes to send the Russian back down in the rankings. Both Rakic and Ankalaev are only a year apart in age and in time competing in the UFC. Rakic has made a more solid case for his spot as a contender with exciting finishes over Jimi Manuwa and Devin Clark.
Both fighters have shown to be a little too tentative in their previous outings, and potentially they could bring the best out of each other. So far, it just seems that Rakic has a little more to offer and would have a good chance of defeating Ankalaev.
#3. Jan Błachowicz
Former light heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz would pose many problems for Ankalaev if or when the two meet in the octagon. The Polish fighter is coming off of a submission loss to Glover Teixeira. This loss also ended his run as the champion.
The legendary "Polish power" could be a little too much for the Russian fighter to deal with. Very well-rounded and dangerous, Błachowicz is expected to come back with some ferocity in order to get his belt back.
While the rising Russian is quite the athlete himself, Błachowicz has proven himself to be amongst the best in the division and, despite his recent loss, has shown improvements at each showing he's had in the past few years. It'll take more than one loss at the hands of a great athlete to write Błachowicz off, and for that, he'll most likely get the win.
#2. Glover Teixeira
A 5 fight win streak earned Teixeira a title shot, and at 42 years old, he finally laid claim to the light heavyweight title. While the Brazilian is a very well rounded athlete, his jiu jitsu is the most feared part of his game.
Ankalaev hasn't fought anyone with Teixeira's level of jiu jitsu, and that would be a very worrisome factor should these two lock horns. Additionally, while MMA math doesn't necessarily mean much, the record does show that Teixeira was able to finish Thiago Santos, a feat that Ankalaev fell short off.
If the current champion and the Russian contender cross paths in the near future, Teixeira would most-likely do what he's been doing in his past few fights -- get top control and beat his opponents into submission.
#1. Jiri Prochazka
Jiri Prochazka fights with reckless abandon, but also has the technique to mix with it. This fighting style has found him in line for a title fight just 2 fights into the UFC. Where other entries on this list have had lackluster performances as they near the top, Prochazka has excelled under the pressure of the marquee names he's matched against.
Having not lost since 2015, 'Denisa' is riding a 12 fight win streak with 11 of those coming by way of KO/TKO. Both Prochazka and Ankalaev are 29 years old, the fighter hailing from the Czech Republic has a lot more steam to his name and his fights.
Not only can Prochazka win the belt just 3 fights into his career, but he has what it takes to defeat any and all contenders that'll follow up this title shot, including the Russian prospect.
