Magomed Ankalaev has shared some insights surrounding Jiri Prochazka following the fallout from UFC 327.
The light heavyweight division shifted earlier this month when Carlos Ulberg captured the vacant title with a comeback knockout win over Prochazka. Ulberg suffered an early leg injury, but rallied with a check left hook leading to a devastating knockout.
After the loss, Prochazka’s comments about showing him “mercy”. Understandingly Ulberg pushed back on that narrative, pointing to a mistake by the Czech rather than him being left off the hook.
Still, this strange loss has left fans wondering who Prochazka might fight next. Looking ahead, Prochazka sees Ankalaev and Paulo Costa as his potential opponents for his next fight.
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Big Ank Lashes Out at Both Prochazka and Ulberg
Ankalaev, who last competed in a loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 320 for the Light Heavyweight title, is rumored to be part of the UFC 329 lineup.
Ankalaev wasted no time addressing the callout.
“Jiri Prochazka got knocked out by a man with one leg and now he calls me out, after finding out I already have an opponent,” Ankalaev posted.
He went further, echoing Ulberg’s earlier criticism.
“Carlos Ulberg is right, this guy is a pretender. He never wanted to really fight me and he’s the number one easy fight in the light heavyweight division.”
Title Picture Remains Uncertain
Ulberg will be resting for six to eight months due to a torn ACL suffered during his title fight. There lies an uncertainty around the championship picture, and whether the organization will book an interim bout.
With the titleholder inactive, contenders are beginning to circle. Prochazka’s next move will determine how quickly he will return in contention, while Ankalaev’s rumored booking keeps him on the latter part.
The back-and-forth drama between the two adds another layer to a division already dealing with an inconsistent hierarchy and a champion that is nowhere to be found.
With Ulberg healing from his knee injury, who would you like to see fight for the interim title?