The UFC light heavyweight title is on the line this weekend in UFC 307 but to the surprise of some fans, it will not be Magomed Ankalaev serving as the challenger.
Instead, Alex Pereira will be defending his title against the #8-ranked Khalil Rountree in a clash of two of the division’s most exciting strikers.
Though there’s an argument to be made for Rountree being more active and coming into the fight on a great run of finishes, many expected Ankalaev to be the one standing opposite Pereira at UFC 307.
The #2-ranked contender is unbeaten since his UFC debut back in 2018 but will instead be facing Aleksandar Rakić later this month at UFC 308.
Those who agree with the decision to book Rountree as the next challenger, instead, will often divert to the argument that Ankalaev isn’t the most exciting fighter to watch, a point that Pereira has also made in the past.
MMA Fans React To Magomed Ankalaev’s Underrated UFC Highlight Reel
A video posted on social media showcased some of Ankalaev’s finishes inside the Octagon as proof that he isn’t the boring fighter that Pereira has labelled him as.
For a Russian contender that has a strong grappling game, he isn’t afraid to strike with his opponents and has always been a dangerous fighter on the feet.
In fact, 10 of his 18 wins as a pro are by knockout with 6 coming in the UFC.
The video shows some stellar finishes including his latest win over Johnny Walker and the front kick that he landed against Dalcha Lungiambula back in 2019.
MMA fans reacted to the highlight reel on social media and the mislabeling of Ankalaev’s style as ‘boring’.
“UFC is saving Pereira from Ankalaev .. more like they don’t want one more belt to go Dagestan ..!”
“Honestly ankalaev is far from boring, not sure how that narrative got placed on him”
“Third most KO in LHW history, great striker who refuses to wrestle most of the time. Anyone who says he’s boring is just biased against DGestanis”
“I think when people say boring, they’re referring to his personality. idk”
“People see the beard and assume another Kahbib clone.”
Read also: Chael Sonnen Explains Why Upset Could Be ‘Brewing’ In Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree At UFC 307
