Magomed Ankalaev has responded to Paulo Costa’s recent mockery of his fight and eventual vow to ‘save’ the light heavyweight division.
Ankalaev took on Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. An uneventful fight saw the Russian emerge victorious in the fifth round via TKO. Although Ankalaev had been cruising on the judges’ scorecards by the time he won, not many were impressed with his performance.
Paulo Costa took to X to hit out at the quality of the fight, also expressing his desire to ‘save’ the weight class from ‘monotony’ and ‘boredom.’
Now, Ankalaev has responded to the Brazilian’s comments. In a recent clip shared by Red Corner MMA, the Russian called out Costa for being ‘loud’ and also clarified whether he would ever fight him. He said:
Costa didn’t perform [well] in his division. Then, moved up, won a single fight and got loud. I think, if he’s ready to come forward, we’ll be waiting for him. But if he’s going to run and shy away, I see no point in fighting him.
Check out Magomed Ankalaev’s comments below:
Costa’s recent fight came in the light heavyweight division, where he beat Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327. Prior to that, he fought once in the 205lbs division, taking on Marvin Vettori, way back in October 2021, which he lost via unanimous decision. The Brazilian is currently ranked number 4 in the Meta UFC light heavyweight rankings.
Magomed Ankalaev will be Relieved to Be Back in the Win Column
Magomed Ankalaev was coming off a devastating TKO loss against Alex Pereira that also saw him lose the UFC light heavyweight championship. The Russian was finished just 80 seconds into the first round in what would have been a confidence-shattering loss.
His dominant win against Bogdan Guskov would do his confidence a world of good and could possibly set him up for a title clash against Carlos Ulberg, who is planning to return in early 2027.
