LAS VEGAS – Magomed Ankalaev thinks it’s time to test his skills in the upper echelon of his division.
The light heavyweight picked up his sixth straight win when he outpointed Nikita Krylov (27-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) for a unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night 186 co-main event Saturday in Las Vegas.
Ankalaev thinks a high-ranked opponent is overdue. And though Krylov was No. 8 in the UFC’s official light heavyweight rankings, the Russian fighter wants an even higher ranked opponent.
“Krylov wasn’t my ideal opponent because I was expecting for me to be propelled in the rankings in my division,” Ankalaev told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I was expecting someone higher up. But right now, top-five or top-six fighters in my division – they have fights scheduled. So depending on who wins, I’m hoping to get an opponent among those winners.”
Although Ankalaev is looking forward to bigger things, he’s not necessarily too stoked on how he managed to keep his winning streak alive. The 28-year-old thinks his fight against Krylov was boring – something he wasn’t expecting going into the fight.
“I feel great, but the fight didn’t go as I expected,” Ankalaev said. “I could say that it was a little boring, but the end result is that I’m happy with my win. I’m not disappointed because my victory is what matters.”
Magomed Ankalaev targets UFC’s light heavyweight top five with his six-fight winning streak
