Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev added to UFC 282
An intriguing light heavyweight bout between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev is the latest addition to the upcoming UFC 282 pay-per-view card.
ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report that Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev will take place at UFC 282, which is set to take place on December 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. There is no official main event for this card at this point, but rumors have suggested it will feature UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira 2. If that’s the case, then the Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev fight is insurance just in case someone in the headliner falls off the card.
Blachowicz (29-9) is the former UFC light heavyweight champion. The 39-year-old Pole won his last fight over Aleksandar Rakic via injury TKO, which helped him bounce back following a submission defeat to the aforementioned Teixeira before that. Prior to loss to Teixeira, Blachowicz had won five straight fights, which includes a notable decision win over UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, plus wins over the likes of Corey Anderson and Dominick Reyes. Although Blachowicz is one of the oldest fighters in the division, he is still one of the best fighters currently at 205lbs.
Ankalaev (18-1) is emerging as one of the top light heavyweights in the UFC. At just 30 years of age, Ankalaev is already 8-1 overall in the UFC. After losing to Paul Craig by last-second submission in his UFC debut, Ankalaev has reeled off eight straight wins, including a stoppage victory over Anthony Smith, plus decision wins over Nikita Krylov and Volkan Oezdemir. Overall, Ankalaev is one of the best fighters in his weight class, and if he can get by Blachowicz at UFC 282, he may very well be next in line to fight for the belt.
Who do you think wins this light heavyweight bout at UFC 282 between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev?
