As Magomed Ankalaev prepares for his UFC 320 title defense, he faces criticism, with some claiming his presence is detrimental rather than beneficial to the UFC.
This Saturday at UFC 320, Ankalaev will undertake his initial light heavyweight title defense in an immediate rematch against Alex Pereira.
Their first encounter at UFC 313 earlier this year saw the Russian secure a significant upset, dominating Pereira across five rounds with superior striking.
Despite a decisive loss to Ankalaev, `Poatan` appears to have already identified his next opponent post-UFC 320.
UFC Veteran Suggests Ankalaev Undermines the Promotion
During his tenure as light heavyweight champion, the Brazilian (Alex Pereira) was recognized as a major figure in the sport, celebrated for his remarkable career and calm demeanor.
However, after Ankalaev’s dominant title victory, that star power did not, regrettably, transfer to the Russian fighter.
This lack of appeal led UFC analyst Din Thomas to propose, earlier this year, a trade involving Ankalaev to the PFL in exchange for Dakota Ditcheva.
Ankalaev recently acknowledged Thomas`s remarks, retorting by sharing an image of Thomas`s past knockout loss during his own UFC career.
Nevertheless, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub supported Thomas, echoing the sentiment that Ankalaev is indeed `hurting the UFC.`
Schaub asserted in a YouTube video that “the current UFC business model would generate more revenue from Dakota than from Magomed.”
He elaborated, stating, “In reality, Magomed is actively damaging the UFC. It`s harsh to admit, but if he defeats Alex, who is a significantly larger star, it negatively impacts the UFC.”
Schaub continued, “We can extract more value from a talented and marketable fighter like Ditcheva than from this formidable Dagestani athlete, who, despite his prowess, lacks charisma on the microphone and defeats the very stars the UFC wants to promote. That`s a problem.”
Ditcheva`s UFC Debut Not Imminent Despite Fan Demand
Despite widespread calls from both analysts and fans for `Dangerous` Ditcheva to join the UFC, her signing is not expected in the near future.
Following an impressive victory in July, Ditcheva confirmed her renewed commitment to the PFL, securing her involvement with the promotion for several more years.
