The 30-year-old from Dagestan enters his UFC 277 bout with Anthony Smith riding an eight-fight win streak and now has the perfect opportunity to announce himself as a true title contender.
If not for a last second Hail Mary submission loss to Paul Craig in his UFC debut, Ankalaev would be undefeated with an outstanding record of 18-0. Since then, Ankalaev (17-1) has cemented himself as the dark horse of the division with impressive wins over Ion Cutelaba (twice), Nikita Krylov, Volkan Oezdemir, and Thiago Santos.
Order UFC 277: Peña vs Nunes 2
As we prepare to see if Ankalaev can extend his exceptional winning streak to nine straight, let’s look back at some of his best moments in the Octagon so far.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Marcin Prachnio
UFC Moscow – September 15, 2018
This article was originally published by Ufc.com. Read the original article here.