Consensus on Ankalaev?

[Captain Insano]

Well it's not a 13 fight win streak so you play fuckfuck games and call it an unebatean streak



He has no personality to sell a fight but he is good.

 

[davidlemonparty]

Great fighter. Love him.

I don't mind him. Nothing against him.
But I struggle to see how someone would love him. He is boring. What do you love about his fighting

 

[Dirty Frank]

I don't mind him. Nothing against him.
But I struggle to see how someone would love him. He is boring. What do you love about his fighting

Struggle no more, because in me you'll find a Shermano who loves Magomed Ankalaev.

Nothing boring about him at all. Anyone with KO finishes over several brutes at LHW (Cutelaba, Walker, Anthony Smith, Lungambiula, Prachnio), and has been inches away from the title deserves utmost respect as an "action fighter." He's a big man from Dagestan with wrestling chops in his backpocket (par for the course) yet chooses to strike. Because fuck it, why not?

Heck, even his lone loss was at the wrong end of an exceedingly exciting, last-minute, razor's edge finish.

Magomed Bless!

 

[Luffy]

Generally I'd say he'd get KO'd easily and made a meme out of from fans like Jamahal Hill considering how much he has been writing on the internet (unlike Khabib and Islam... He seems way more of a troll on twitter, like, he legit talks funny shitty, while irl he seems the most stoic out of the Dagestans, almost like an ancient warrior with modern clothes who is ready to smash someone who bumped into him... Idk,I think he is the one who does all that talk on twitter, twitter can translate posts to English, though not, sometimes, in a so good, native like way, so he is likely typing in Russing and using machine translator, as well as using twitter translations to read other fighters' posts about him, etc... but he is like judging from Twitter the one from Dagestan who seems more down there to joking or even trolling.

The fact he is from Dagestan tho tells me it won't be a meme thing like Jamahal Hill, those guys from Dagestan... Is tough to seem them talking shit and bam, getting beaten easily.

Still tho, I think Alex has got it. They have had similar opponents, Jan, and Alex performed better and it is a case for Alex now because:

---> that was the first fight of Alex Poatan in 205... Getting a win, even if by split decision, but still well deserved, vs Jan is huuuge for the first fight there. Anakalaev got into a draw. Maybe, maybe I could see Ankalaev doing slightly better, but it's debatable.. besides, Anakalaev fought a 5 rounds battle and spent the last rounds kinda controlling but he want very effective on top... Jan won round 1 but lost 2 and 3 to Alex, close though it was, it was Alex's debut and Jan looked exhausted, he couldn't even stay up after the fight due to tiredness and heavy body shots, leg kicks and striking from Alex.

Alex notably improved more and more from them... Specially after his first fight vs Prochakza, it was like he got something else in him...

Tbh, I see Anakalaev and Jiri as same level. I think Anakalaev could put up a tough fight a la Alex vs Jiri 1... That is, against THAT Alex. Current Alex Poatan to me in on a higher level. Maybe he could have driven Alex Poatan from the first fight vs Jiri to higher problems, since Jiri wasn't in his best shape in the first fight, but I think Alex Poatan has what it takes to put on a huge performance.

But eh... Let's see how Anakalaev decides to apply his strategy. Even if his aim is takedown, Alex has been improving quickly in grappling, has been working a lot on it, with Fabricio Werdum too. Plus, Alex Poatan uses his own striking to make take downs more challenging... I got Alex winning this one.

 

[HatKick]

He's really good and the most complete MMA fighter at LHW. He's getting the clown treatment like Leon Edwards and Belal Mohammed because he isn't charismatic. He's had a couple of boring fights but he's far from a boring fighter if you've followed his career. Like the guys I mentioned Ankalaev will have his day in the sun and the haters will eat crow.

 

[Harlekin]

Shut out rakic and consistently landed left straights to the body and head, wasn't the most exciting fight but he made a top level LHW look harmless.

Won fair and square a 2:1 decision. Rakic also made Ankalaev look harmless.
UFC Stats has punches landed 55:53, Ankalaev landed the harder punches though.
It was a close and boring fight. Ankalaev didn't shine here at all. Rakic is a good top 5 fighter though.
If Rakic lands 5 more punches in round 3, Ankalaev's streak is dead.

 

[SuperAlly]

Will get starched by the boogy man

 

[Lord Pyjamas]

Small hands, that was his problem.

Ah, you are saying it fueled him into whatever this is just like other super persons have their origin stories!
God or bad. You might be on to something!

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Ank is extremely talented. Most probably the most complete fighter in the division. Sadly he can be hesitant to find the finish and coast wich people find boring.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

Serviceable, but unremarkable

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

If he retired tomorrow, very few would notice and the division would move on. He's a good fighter, but has no presence.

 

[Nobru]

Im curious about this fight, how Alex will handle a southpaw with a td threat. A left hook always comes to mind, but I wont be surprised with a knee KO in this one.

 

[krelianx]

One of the most frustrating fighters to watch. Wrestler who is reluctant to use it, but when he fully commits to it makes fights look easy. Instead, he coasts in semi competitive striking bouts that are absolute snoozefests, with half-baked takedown attempts.

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

He's well rounded but nothing stands out. Classic case of jake of all trades, master of none. His dry as a board religious fundamentalist personality doesn't help on top of that.

I don't really see him being much of a challenge for Alex unless he decides to strictly wrestle.

 

[Jfreemandrums]

Hes the real champ.

Pereiras a fraud fighting barely ranked and opponents with achilles tears. Pereiras fake champ. This is the real LHW lineage.

Hey pal, did you just blow in from stupid town?

 

[RichardHarrow]

He’s a very good but underwhelming fighter. He’s got the skills and good wins under his belt but I’m just left wanting more when he fights elite fighters. Clear cut #1 contender, this shouldn’t be a debate.

Hit the nail with that one , particularly with the feeling left wanting more when he fights.

 

[RichardHarrow]

Overhyped by sociopaths

This is the thing. There’s no hype behind the guy. Even us Dagestani fans understand his limitations.

 

[RichardHarrow]

What do you expect from one of the worst posters on Sherdog?

Thing about Ankalaev is... his level of opposition isn't that high.

Look at his last 10 fights :

Cutelaba 1 - Ion is C level
Cutelaba 2 - nothing changes
Krylov - Nikita is hard to rate. I would say he is B/B+
Volkan - just like Krylov. I would say he is B+ player
Thiago Santos - when he was in his prime Marretta was a menace but when he fought Magomed he was past his prime.
Smith - Anthony was always hit and miss guy. Might be past it when he fought Ankalaev.
Jan - many variables - fight was scheduled for 3 rounds but later changed due to title implications, so they have to change gameplan and pacing to restrain stamina. When Ank finally fought elite level opponent in big Jan B he lost first 3 rounds and used Jans weakness in wrestling and his fatigue. Draw was correct score.
Johnny Walker - NC but that was stupid. Should be DQ loss. Walker is unstable - he can KO high level opponent and be destroyed by absolutely can. I would say that he is B level.
Walker rematch - not much to write here.
Rakić - and finally another good opponent. I would say Aleksandar is A level so tier below elite but very good fighter. Once again Magomed has showed that he is very gunshy which is often his weakness.

Alex Pereira will be only 2nd elite fighter that Ankalaev will face so it is interesting. His average level of opposition is somewhat B level fighters but I have no doubt that Ank is himself elite.

It’s a weak LHW division. In a lot of other eras Ank and Alex don’t reign as easily.

 

[maximus__]

Hes the real champ.

Pereiras a fraud fighting barely ranked and opponents with achilles tears. Pereiras fake champ. This is the real LHW lineage.

Ank should be 1-1 vs Johnny Walker...

Somehow Alex has managed to fight all the guys that Ank hasn't.
Instead Ank was fighting Walker and Cutelaba 2x and being inactive.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

As a North Caucasus nut hugger, I find that Uncle Aev is a bit overrated and he really looks like an owl.