Magomed Ankalaev eager for rematch with Jan Blachowicz

Magomed Ankalaev has expressed his desire to fight a rematch with Jan Blachowicz, the newly crowned light heavyweight champion believes he has unsettled issues with the Pole.

Magomed Ankalaev achieved over the weekend the biggest success of his career to date. The Dagestanian defeated Alex Pereira and became the new UFC light heavyweight champion. Ankalaev’s confident win caused journalists to immediately start asking him if he wants to move up to the heavyweight category.

Magomed Ankalaev, in an interview with Sport24, admitted that he has unfinished business in the light-heavyweight category, and for the moment he wants to focus on competing in his division, and only later will he think about moving up to the royal category.

– If Alex Pereira and the UFC organization want a rematch, there will be a rematch, although there are others. I want to close the topic with Jan Blachowicz. We have unsettled issues. So first I have to clear things up here, and then we can think about big fights at heavyweight.

Asked who he would like to fight in a rematch with Pereira or Blachowicz at the moment, Magomed Ankalaev answered diplomatically.

– I am interested in both of them.

Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev faced each other for the first time on December 10, 2022 at UFC 282 in Las Vegas. At stake in that bout was Jiri Prochazka’s vacated world title. The clash ended in a draw and consequently neither fighter won the belt.