Former double UFC champion Daniel Cormier shared his thoughts on why Russian light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev has yet to get a fight with the division's champion, Brazilian Alex Pereira.
I'm not saying Pereira can't fight or beat Ankalaev. I just feel like it is a very very difficult matchup, possibly the hardest matchup for him in the entire light heavyweight division. I remember sitting in Manchester and they said UFC 308, and when I saw Rakic taking on Ankalaev, my jaw dropped. I was like, they actually did it. Like sometimes you got to protect that golden goose a little bit.
Recall, the fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic will take place on October 26 in Abu Dhabi (UAE) as part of the tournament UFC 308.
Ankalaev last stepped into the octagon against Johnny Walker in January of this year at UFC Fight Night 234. That fight, which was stopped in the first round, ended in Magomed's favor by knockout. Ancalaev has 18 wins, one loss and one draw on his record, while another of his fights was ruled a no contest.
Rakic last fought against Jiri Prochazka in April of this year at UFC 300. In that fight, which was stopped in the second round, Aleksandar was defeated by technical knockout. He has 14 wins and four losses on his record.