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#4 Winner of Magomed Ankalaev vs. former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith
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One of the fights that fans will be keeping an eye on at UFC 277 is Magomed Ankalaev vs. Anthony Smith. The two light heavyweights are in a great position in the light heavyweight rankings and could earn the next title shot. With ‘Denisa’ becoming champion in his third bout with the promotion, each matchup will see a new opponent.
‘Lionheart’ has had a tough climb back into title contention. The No. 5 ranked light heavyweight is currently riding a three-fight winning streak during which he has finished each opponent.
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His wins include a first-round submission over Devin Clark, first-round TKO over Jimmy Crute, and first-round submission over Ryan Spann.
Ankalaev has been equally as impressive since making his promotional debut in 2018. Despite losing his debut to Paul Craig, he has since won eight straight bouts in dominant fashion. Based on how Prochazka’s fight with Teixeira went, Anakalaev could find areas in which he could exploit with his sambo.
#3 Former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira
Based on what transpired in the main event at UFC 275, Prochazka vs. Teixeira 2 would be a very appealing option. Both fighters earned a bonus for Fight of the Night and the promotion could capitalize on that.
During his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Glover Teixeira mentioned that he’ll continue fighting. He performed well and wasn’t outclassed by any means. In fact, he was winning the fight and would’ve retained the title if he survived the final 28-seconds. Since he has recent wins over other top contenders, a rematch wouldn’t necessarily hold up the division.
Dana White has said in the past that if there is a demand for a fight, he will do his best to book it. It wouldn’t be the first time that the promotion booked a rematch for a title fight. They did so with Jorge Masvidal vs. welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Max Holloway vs. featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
