Did Magomed Ankalaev deserve a title shot with his win?

UFC 277 provided a platform for Magomed Ankalaev to showcase his all-around skills against Anthony Smith.

Magomed Ankalaev has extended his winning streak to nine with a floor and pound finish in the second round against Anthony Smith UFC277. They were the first fight on the ESPN+ Pay-per-view portion, and it was kind of an anticlimactic conclusion.

Ankalaev and Smith started the fight by measuring distance and exchanging leg kicks. At some point in the first lap, Smith suffered a serious leg injury and visibly hobbled into the corner.

As the second round began, it didn’t take long to realize that Smith would not recover from the leg injury. He desperately tried to get a takedown, but Ankalaev changed position and began hitting Smith with ground and pound.

Smith couldn’t escape and Jacob Montalvo stopped the fight at 3:09 of Round 3. Ankalaev is the No. 4 light heavyweight and could jump to No. 3 on Monday. He is now one step closer to a title shot.

UFC 277’s performance puts Magomed Ankalaev one fight away from a title shot

Aleksandar Rakic ​​recently lost to Jan Blachowicz meaning Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira are the only fighters to give Ankalaev a title shot. Jiri Prochazka wants to face Teixeira, so Ankalaev could end up facing Blachowicz in a No. 1 match.

Ankalaev is patient and calculated with his shots and his grappling remains a force in the field ufc Light Heavyweight Division. At 30, Ankalaev has a chance to take over this division and become a champion for a long time.

UFC 277: Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes takes place live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Follow FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.