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#2 UFC Light Heavyweight division: Nikita Krylov vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev is probably the best prospect in the UFC's Light Heavyweight division.

This fight promises to bring some fireworks to the UFC this weekend.

The UFC Light Heavyweight division has become known as one of the promotion’s thinnest. But it’s hard to dispute that Ankalaev, who is 5-1 in the Octagon, is probably 205lbs’ best prospect.

Krylov isn’t really a contender at this point. He’s simply shown too many holes in his game. But his incredible energy, aggression, and ability to fight in all areas make him an exciting fighter to watch.

Those skills should also make him an interesting test for Ankalaev. The native of Dagestan has faced aggressive opponents before. But none have been so willing to throw caution to the wind as Krylov tends to be.

The main strength possessed by The Miner is his grappling skill. Sure, Krylov can strike and has a number of KO’s to his name, but he’s almost certainly more adept at submissions.

The native of Ukraine has 15 tap-outs on his ledger, including four in the UFC. And he’s extremely tricky to deal with in the scramble, being willing to risk position to attempt a submission.

That means he’s somewhat comparable to Paul Craig – the only fighter thus far to defeat Ankalaev in the UFC.

With that said, it’s worth noting that Ankalaev hammered on Craig for three rounds before falling prey to a last-gasp triangle choke. It was a bad mistake on the Dagestani’s behalf, but Craig is arguably a more durable fighter than Krylov is.

Overall, the big difference here is sharpness. Krylov’s skills are all dangerous, but The Miner remains a somewhat sloppy fighter, even on the ground.

Ankalaev, meanwhile, is all clean technique, whether that’s landing pinpoint strikes on the feet – like his KO of Ion Cutelaba at UFC 254 – or his supreme wrestling skill.

I simply can’t see Krylov being able to force the scrambles he’ll need to win this one, and he’s probably outgunned slightly on the feet too. With that in mind, I’m going for a TKO win for Ankalaev.

The Pick: Ankalaev via first-round TKO