Magomed Ankalaev Clarifies Post-Fight Interview Remarks Regarding UFC
In the immediate aftermath of the split draw in the UFC 282 headliner, it sounded as though Magomed Ankalaev was contemplating a future outside the Las Vegas-based promotion.
Advertisement
“I don’t know what to say,” Ankalaev told Joe Rogan in the Octagon through a translator. “I won that fight. Why didn’t I get my belt? I don’t know what to say. … I can’t choose the judges for the fight that are sitting over here, but I won this fight. I won this belt. Where is my belt?
Ankalaev then seemed to imply that the judges’ verdict might cause
him to consider leaving the UFC altogether.
“I always do whatever I have to do to adjust,” Ankalaev said. “If I’m losing in the standup, I’ll go down to grappling and wrestling; if I’m losing the wrestling, I’ll stand up. I can do both things, but I don’t know if I’m going to fight for this organization again, because honestly, I don’t know what just happened.”
The Dagestani light heavyweight later clarified those remarks in a statement on Twitter, claiming it was the judging in Las Vegas, not the organization, that upset him the most.
“I wanna clear something up, what I said after the fight was I don’t want to fight in this city anymore because of the horrible judging,” he wrote. “I did not say anything about I don’t wanna fight in the UFC. I wanna thank [Dana White] and [Sean Shelby] for the opportunity.
Ankalaev added that wasn’t at 100 percent against Blachowicz.
“I fought my heart out today, there is no excuse, but I had a compromised knee,” he wrote. “It wasn’t my best performance, but I know I won the fight. Thank you [Dana White] and the [UFC} for giving me this opportunity.”
I wanna clear something up, what I said after the fight was I don’t want to fight in this city anymore because of the horrible judging, I did not say anything about I don’t wanna fight in the UFC.
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) December 11, 2022
I wanna thank @danawhite and @Mickmaynard2 for the opportunity
I fought my heart out today, there is no excuse, but I had a compromised knee, it wasn’t my best performance, but I know I won the fight. Thank you @danawhite and the @ufc for giving me this opportunity
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) December 11, 2022
Ankalaev is unbeaten in his last 10 Octagon appearances, but the UFC is not booking a championship rematch between he and Blachowicz. Instead, Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill will square off for the still-vacant belt at UFC 283 on Jan. 21.
« Previous Shillan and Duffy: UFC Fight Night 216 Preview
Next Dana White Blasts Jared Gordon’s ‘Horrible Game Plan’ Against Paddy Pimblett »
More