Magomed Ankalaev has become a popular figure in the UFC due to his exceptional fighting skills, knockout power, and track record of consistency in the light-heavyweight division. Hailing from Dagestan, Russia, a region known for producing elite MMA fighters, Ankalaev’s international appeal has further fueled his popularity.
Ankalaev has massive potential and is expected to become the light heavyweight champion in the near future. Magomed represents Fight Club Akhmat, which is considered one of the best MMA gyms in Russia. The professional sports club is named after the first president of the Chechen Republic in Russia, Akhmat Kadyrov.
What is Magomed Ankalaev’s relationship with Ramzan Kadyrov?
Ankalaev’s connection with Ramzan Kadyrov (Akhmat’s son) traces its origins to 2016, when he initially became a member of Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA fight club. From that point forward, the fighter, who hails from Dagestan, has consistently represented Kadyrov during his competitive endeavors, including his time in the UFC.
Kadyrov is a huge fan of MMA and often watches the UFC to support his fighters, such as Ankalaev, Albert Duraev, Said Nurmagomedov, and Khamzat Chimaev. Kadyrov always supports his fighters who do well in their respective organizations. Other than giving them a place to train, travel, and cover accommodation expenses, Kadyrov also treats them with gifts such as cars, money, etc.
Fighters such as Ankalaev, Duraev, and Chimaev have also been spotted with Kadyrov at his personal dinner parties. Kadyrov once gifted a Mercedes-Benz to Ankalaev amid his success in UFC. After a split draw in the UFC 282 main event, Kadyrov even made a social media post. In this post, he criticized UFC President Dana White, claiming that Ankalaev’s failure to win the vacant light-heavyweight title was due to politics and biased officiating.
In a message to his approximately 3 million followers on Telegram, Kadyrov questioned Dana White, asking, “What happened to him? He used to be a normal and principled man, but today he removed the championship belt from the ring without awarding it to the evident victor. The Chechen head mentioned if politics has now entered the UFC arena, compelling White to oversee biased refereeing. It’s a sport, and the call for honesty remains,” Kadyrov urged. Kadyrov has immense faith in his fighters and it’s no different with Ankalaev; similarly, the fighter trusts his team completely and plans to attain the title in the future.
Magomed Ankalaev’s second run to get the UFC Light Heavyweight title
Magomed Ankalaev is scheduled to make his comeback against Johnny Walker, as the fight is set to take place at UFC 294, taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. For a clearly top competitor, Ankalaev’s career has taken some odd detours.
Given his obvious ability, becoming a champion seemed the most likely outcome for the Russian talent, but instead, he lost to Paul Craig, faced Ion Cutelaba twice, and reached a split draw with Jan Blachowicz. Despite his peculiarity, he has won his last 10 fights without losing and maybe the finest fighter at 205 pounds.
After failing to capture the light heavyweight belt on the first attempt, the fighter must be looking forward to changing things this time. Instead of leaving matters in the hands of judges, the fighter might use his incredible knockout prowess to win his future fights.
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