Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev have agreed to meet in a fight that could determine a new No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division at UFC 282 on Dec. 10.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Tuesday following an initial report from ESPN.
The matchup of Blachowicz with Ankalaev was arranged after UFC decided to proceed immediately with a rematch between JiriProchazka (still targeted for the same card) and Glover Teixeira (which could be pushed back to January at UFC ).
Either way, Blachowicz and Ankalaev are set to clash in a battle between two of the top 205-pound fighters in the world.
After losing the UFC light heavyweight title to Teixeira in 2021, Blachowicz bounced back with a win over Aleksandar Rakic and he hoped that would earn him an immediate shot at gold again. He will instead draw against Ankalaev who has made a steady and slow climb to the top of the UFC ranks ever since his arrival in the promotion.
With an 18-1 record, Ankalaev has long been considered a threat to win 205-pound gold and he’s now riding an impressive nine-fight win streak capped off by back-to-back wins over a pair of former title challengers in Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.
A victory over Blachowicz almost certain would secure Ankalaev a title shot, raising the stakes for Ankalaev’s fight in 2022..
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