Magomed Ankalaev loses – How many times has the UFC star lost?

Magomed Ankalaev has been dominating the fighting realm for several years with his strong striking and grappling skills. The Dagestani fighter has won 19 fights in his professional MMA career, nine of which were by finish, and has made a huge impression on the fighting community. However, there were a few instances where he struggled in the MMA cage. Surprisingly, this happened in his debut fight in the UFC.

There is a single defeat that destroys the Dagestan fighter’s record. Let’s take a look at how Ankalaev lost his fight and against whom.

Magomed Ankalaev’s only MMA defeat: who defeated him?

Back in March 2018, Ankalaev suffered his first-ever defeat as a professional mixed martial artist at UFC Fight Night 127. This was the fight that ended his nine-fight winning streak. And the man who defeated the Russian fighter was none other than Paul Craig. It was actually Ankalaev’s first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he dominated the Octagon with his fighting prowess. But everything went haywire when Craig took control of the fight with a triangle choke. The pain seemed to be a bit too much for the Russian and he gave up when there was only a second left until the horn sounded to announce the end of the fight.

Needless to say, it was a completely disappointing move for Ankalaev. If he had endured the pain a second longer, he would have won by decision. Speaking about the loss, he once revealed“This loss changed my life. At the beginning it was difficult for me. I didn’t come out in public for a month. My mother lives with my brother in Khasavyurt, I spent a month there. I thought I wouldn’t fight anymore. Then within that month I realized it wasn’t me. I did what I could, it was the will of the Almighty. It was a relief. I began to understand the situation, then I went back to training. I went to the gym and worked out. I left everything in the gym and got my results.”

This defeat changed Kalayev’s perspective. When he had an undefeated professional MMA record, he always worried that there would be no defeats. But UFC Fight Night 127 was a pretty important lesson for the light heavyweight fighter. Now that he knew how bitter it felt to lose a fight, he began to give his all in training.

Ankalaev continued“I had the worst loss in the UFC. I literally gave up in the final moments of a fight. People said good and bad things. From my perspective, I’m not doing anything to help anyone else. I do it for myself, my loved ones. Those who believe in me. So it’s easy for me.”

After that, Ankalaev has gone on an undefeated streak and is currently on a 10-fight winning streak, with his last win coming via a right hook uppercut knockout Johnny Walker Back in January 2024. However, there was another fight that had attracted quite a bit of attention. And it was neither a win nor a loss.

What happened when Magomed Ankalaev faced Jan Blachowicz?

At UFC 282, Ankalaev clashed with Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight championship belt in the main event. It was actually the first time that Ankaraev got the chance to win the championship title. However, the fight ended in a draw after a fierce brawl that spanned five rounds. Mike Bell scored the game 48-47 in favor of Blachowicz and Derek Cleary scored the game 48-46 in favor of Ankalaev. But it was Sal D’Amato who scored the fight 47-47 and ensured it ended in a split draw.

Immediately after completing the fifth round, Blachowicz raised his opponent’s hand as if admitting defeat. But the mixed martial world experienced a moment of shock when it was announced that the fight had ended in a draw. While the Polish fighter admitted defeat, Ankalaev had said“I don’t know what to say. I won this fight. Why didn’t I get my belt? I don’t know what to say.”

Ankalaev later fought Johnny Walker at UFC 294, and the fight was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental illegal knee in the first round. Nevertheless, Kalayev is now ready to fight Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308. If he wins his next fight, the fight community can expect him to fight him for the championship belt Alex Pereira. After all, this is one of the fights that the entire fan base is waiting for.

What do you think about Ankalaev’s professional MMA record? Let us know in the comments below if you think he can win against Rakic ​​at UFC 308.