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#4 No. 4 Ranked UFC light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev has put himself in a great position in the UFC light heavyweight division. The No. 4 ranked light heavyweight has only tasted defeat once since joining the promotion in 2018.
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Since his lone loss, he has won eight-straight bouts and looks like he could pose a threat to reigning champion Jiri Prochazka.
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Ankalaev is coming off a unanimous decision win over Thiago Santos, which moved him closer to a title shot. He is scheduled to compete against former title challenger Anthony Smith on July 30. The bout could possibly serve as a title eliminator, so it’ll be a great opportunity for both.
If ‘Lionheart’ snaps Ankalaev’s winning streak, perhaps the promotion could book him against Teixeira. It would keep both fighters in the top-5 of the division, while also ensuring that the result is significant for both.
Teixeira and Ankalaev would make for an interesting grappling battle that neither could afford to make a mistake in.
#3 Former UFC title challenger Alexander Gustafsson
Alexander Gustafsson is one of the greatest fighters never to win a UFC championship. He has been consistent and remained in contention throughout his career, but was unable to win the title. He has hit a rough stretch as he has three straight losses for the first time in his career.
The Hall of Famer even attempted a move to heavyweight division to rejuvenate his career. However, he was submitted by former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Gustafsson was scheduled to compete against Ben Rothwell, but after plans fell through, ‘The Mauler’ decided to return to 205lbs.
Gustafsson is scheduled to compete against No. 11 ranked Nikita Krylov and a win could put him back in the title picture. If he wins in impressive fashion, a bout against Teixeira becomes a lot more appealing.
It would be a rematch of their 2017 bout during which ‘The Mauler’ earned a fifth-round knockout win. Coincidentally, it was the last time Gustafsson won a bout inside the octagon.
