5 under-the-radar UFC fights to look forward to in October

#2. Volkan Oezdemir vs. Magomed Ankalaev – UFC 267

Can Magomed Ankalaev leapfrog to the front of the queue in the UFC light-heavyweight division?

UFC 267 is one of the most stacked events of 2021, with two title fights at the top of the card. That means there are a number of fights on offer that are flying under the radar, and one such sees Volkan Oezdemir take on Magomed Ankalaev.

It’s hard to really play down the importance of this fight to the UFC light-heavyweight division. Champion Jan Blachowicz will defend his title against Glover Teixeira on the same night, but after that, the top contender’s spot is up in the air.

Right now Jiri Prochazka probably sits at the front of the queue. However, it’s probably fair to say that because he hasn’t fought since May, someone could potentially leapfrog him with the right performance.

Oezdemir won’t be that fighter, as he lost to Prochazka in his last visit to the octagon, but the same can’t be said for Ankalaev.

The native of Dagestan is on one of the best runs in the division – winning six fights in a row, four by stoppage – and he appears to have all the tools to make a real title run in 2022.

If he can finish Oezdemir in impressive fashion, there’s every chance that he could leapfrog his way into the top contender’s spot and fight the winner of Blachowicz vs. Teixeira.

Obviously it won’t be easy for him, as Oezdemir is one of the best gatekeepers in the division. He is the only man to beat Aleksandar Rakic thus far in his UFC tenure. However, if Ankalaev can pull a win off, it’ll be hard to deny him his shot at destiny – making this one a must see fight.

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#1. Li Jingliang vs. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC 267

Khamzat Chimaev's UFC return is strangely flying under the radar right now

Perhaps no other UFC fighter rose to fame quite as quickly as Khamzat Chimaev did in 2020.

At the midpoint of the year, nobody had heard of the Chechen-born, Swedish-based prospect. Three rapid-fire wins over John Phillips, Rhys McKee and Gerald Meerschaert made him arguably the UFC’s hottest fighter.

However, before he could face Leon Edwards in a fight that could’ve put him in line for a UFC welterweight title shot, COVID-19 struck. It left him on the verge of a premature retirement.

UFC 267 will see ‘Borz’ return to the octagon for the first time in over a year, and he certainly hasn’t been handed an easy out.

Li Jingliang might not be the most popular fighter in the 170lbs division, but ‘The Leech’ has an impressive UFC record of 10-4. He most recently took out another fighter returning from a lengthy layoff in Santiago Ponzinibbio.

If Chimaev comes into this one far from his best, there’s every chance that Li can upset him and end his hype train there and then. At his best, Chimaev appears to have the skills to take out any fighter in the division, including ‘The Leech’.

Quite why more UFC fans aren’t talking about Chimaev's big return is a mystery, but even on a stacked card like UFC 267, this might be the fight to watch.