Magomed Ankalaev is the UFC’s newest champion, but he is certainly not the organization’s most popular.
While an immediate rematch with Alex Pereira, the man he defeated via unanimous decision at UFC 313 to win the light-heavyweight title, will likely be next for Ankalaev, one former titleholder within the division has set his sights on the new champ.
“I want to go with Ankalaev because his style and his mouth, what he’s saying, I don’t like it,” Jiri Prochazka told The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday.
The popular one-time champ and current No. 2 contender congratulated Ankalaev on social media after Ankalaev snapped Pereira’s five-fight winning streak in the 205-pound division.
Ankalaev’s account responded to Prochazka’s contratulatory message by saying: “I think you are a fraud and so many guys deserve it more than you, you need to go win some fights.”
The account also responded to a different social media post referring to Prochazka and wrote: “This guy is a terrible fighter.”
Prochazka pondered whether it was “some hyped manager” posting on behalf of Ankalaev, but regardless said Ankalaev is responsible for what was said.
The 32-year-old Czech star had been recently placed in title purgatory after two stoppage losses to Pereira, one at UFC 295 in late 2023 and again at UFC 303 last June.
He is 5-2 in the UFC with a 100 per cent finishing rate but came up short in both of his matchups with “Poatan.”
Prochazka returned to the win column at UFC 311 in January by earning a Performance of the Night bonus for his third-round technical knockout win over fellow former titleholder Jamahal Hill.
Ankalaev, 32 from Dagestan, is riding a 14-fight unbeaten streak but does not have a reputation for being the most exciting fighter in the division and his decision win over Pereira was met by boos from the crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as well as many fans on social media.
“He can think whatever he wants, but I know that (the) only person who’s a fraud is him because when I met him in the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, he was there, he was very nice. He was friendly. ‘Hello, nice to meet you.’ All good, and right now he’s a superstar and a big gangster and right now he is playing this game,” Prochazka added. “He is hyped. I understand (but) he won the title against ‘worst performance Alex Pereira.’ Only fraud person here is Magomed Ankalaev. …
“Right now, he’s a champion, but nobody respects that he’s a champion.”
It is unclear when Ankalaev’s first title defence will take place but the new champ posted he wants it to take place in Abu Dhabi. The UFC is expected to hold an event there in the second half of the year, but the organization has not yet made any official announcements. The UFC has hosted numbered events in Abu Dhabi in each of the past four Octobers.
Prochazka, meanwhile, does not have his next matchup set.
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