Magomed Ankalaev Calls Out Shogun Rua and Anthony Smith After His KO Win at UFC 254

UFC light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev spoke to the media and called out his next move after his win at UFC 254. Magomed ran through his rival Ion Cutelaba on the main card opener and closed the curtain definitively on their rivalry. The 14-1 fighter KOed ‘Hulk’ Cutelaba at 04:19 of the very first round via vicious ground strikes.

Ion Cutelaba was unable to figure out his opponent’s range and Ankalaev’s counter striking threat was on full display. Additionally, Magomed showed tremendous patience when going after the finish, thus proving that he was ready for bigger tests in the 205-pound division. Not to mention, he rightfully snagged the ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus with a win that put the division on notice.

Read: UFC 254 VIDEO: Magomed Ankalaev Viciously Knocks Out Ion Cutelaba to Bury the Rivalry

Magomed Ankalaev eyes bigger fights at light-heavyweight

The Russian fighter is now riding a five-fight win streak that is sure to propel him into the upper echelons of the division. The lone loss on his record came from Paul Craig via Triangle choke in a fight he was on his way to winning. Following his UFC 254 performance, Ankalaev is clear that he’s looking for a massive step in the competition.

Via an interpreter, he said, “There’s a lotta guys I want to fight. Shogun Rua, Anthony Smith. Maybe any of the top five would be good if they want to fight with me, of course.”

Shogun and ‘Lionheart’ would certainly be the biggest names on his resume should he manage to scalp out a win. Additionally, he’s displayed great promise thus far, and the changing landscape in the 205-pound division means the door is open more than ever before. Jon Jones vacated the championship to make a move to heavyweight, thus allowing an influx of fresh blood.

The current divisional champion, Jan Blachowicz, has looked dominant as of late, and Magomed will have his eyes on a title shot. The fight would be a potential firefight that would elevate both fighters in the minds of fans. However, in order to fast-track himself towards a title shot, he’ll have to go through some top-ranked fighters to bolster his resume.