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Daniel Cormier feels Magomed Ankalaev may have clinched title shot after UFC Abu Dhabi finish: "The light heavyweight division is in a weird place"

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Daniel Cormier feels Magomed Ankalaev may have clinched title shot after UFC Abu Dhabi finish: "The light heavyweight division is in a weird place"

Daniel Cormier wouldn't be surprised if Magomed Ankalaev is Carlos Ulberg's first challenger.

Ankalaev fought Bogdan Guskov in the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner this past Saturday. Ankalaev was initially expected to face Khalil Rountree, but the dangerous striker had to pull out of the fight due to an injury. Guskov couldn't make it to the final horn as Anakalev scored a fifth-round TKO victory.

Having been a former UFC champion, Ankalaev's win could open the door for another title bout. In a post-fight reaction video posted on his YouTube channel, Cormier said that recent movement in the 205-pound weight class might increase Ankalaev's chances of facing the champion Ulberg next (h/t MMAJunkie).

“The light heavyweight division is in a weird place right now because it's got a new champion,†Cormier said. “Alex Pereira is up at heavyweight. Jamahal Hill is up at heavyweight. So a lot of the guys that have fought for the belt are out of the weight class and we haven't seen as many young challengers show themselves to be ready.

“Ankalaev getting that finish might have legitimately gotten him another opportunity to fight for the UFC championship against the new champion, Carlos Ulberg, when he comes back. He says he wants to be back early next year.â€

Ulberg was interviewed by UFC on Paramount+ after Ankalaev's win over Guskov in the curtain closer for UFC Abu Dhabi. The reigning light heavyweight champion said he saw everything he needed out of Ankalaev on fight night. “Black Jag†also said he hopes to return to action in early 2027.

Back in April, Ulberg suffered a torn ACL in his title win against Jiri Prochazka. Fans have discussed whether or not the UFC brass should book an interim title fight before Ulberg makes his return. Former middleweight contender Paulo Costa has made the jump to light heavyweight, and he's been calling for an interim title fight.

Do you agree with Daniel Cormier on Magomed Ankalaev possibly being called on for the next UFC light heavyweight title fight? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.

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UFC newcomer Luis Hernandez wants to ‘pull a Kevin Holland’

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UFC newcomer Luis Hernandez wants to ‘pull a Kevin Holland’
Luis
Hernandez wants to rise to stardom.

Hernandez earned his
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract with a submission win
on
Dana White's Contender Series earlier this month. He then made
a 10-day turnaround, stepping up on two days' notice for his UFC
debut against Sedriques
Dumas at
UFC Vegas 121.

“The Stache†earned a $100,000 performance bonus for forcing Dumas
to tap to a guillotine choke in under a minute. The Miami-Dade
Sheriff's Office deputy is looking to stay active in two divisions
and wants to become a household name.

Luis Hernandez wants to fight at middleweight and welterweight
after his unbeaten UFC start

Hernandez's short-notice UFC debut came at light heavyweight.
However, he wants to primarily compete at middleweight while
occasionally dropping to welterweight. The 30-year-old wants to
stay active and become a household name before turning his
attention to championship aspirations.

“I'm a company man,†Hernandez said on the “Deep Waters†podcast.
“I'm gonna make the fights happen. Any weight class you call me,
I’m about that money… I want to pull a Kevin
Holland and do both 170 and 185. I do want to go up the
rankings, but I want to become first a household name.â€

Hernandez holds a 9-0 record, with all nine of his victories coming
by stoppage.

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Raoni Barcelos shares video from hospital bed, vows to ‘come back stronger’ after terrifying UFC Vegas 121 loss

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Raoni Barcelos shares video from hospital bed, vows to ‘come back stronger’ after terrifying UFC Vegas 121 loss

Raoni Barcelos released a video from his hospital bed almost 48 hours after his scary defeat to Raul Rosas Jr. to confirm he's “doing well†and already anticipates a “stronger†return.

Barcelos had his five-fight winning streak snapped in the main event of UFC Vegas 121, which went down this past Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, after collapsing unconscious in the fifth round in his bantamweight clash. The 39-year-old veteran shared a short statement Monday morning to say he was “doing great,†and thank fans on a video post hours later.

“Hey everyone, how's it going?†Barcelos said in Portuguese. “I'm here to send you a message and let you know that I'm doing well. I'm doing really well and undergoing all the exams here at the hospital. This is just the hospital's protocol, so I have to go through all of them. That's it, guys. I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and all the kind messages. Please keep sending that positive energy.â€

Barcelos was ahead in the scorecards and likely three minutes away from a decision win — had they gone the distance — before passing out in the clinch and needing immediate medical assistance, getting transported to a local hospital. Rosas Jr. was declared the winner by technical knockout.

“We move forward, on to the next one,†Barcelos said. “I gave everything I had inside that cage. Like I said before, I was only leaving that cage if I was carried out, and that's exactly how it happened. It wasn't the way I wanted it to be. I wanted to become champion and leave with the victory, but God knows everything. So we move on to the next one.

“I'm here, doing well. I'll be back, and I'll come back stronger. And I want to send all of you a kiss and a big hug. Thank you so much for everything. Thank you, and let's keep moving forward!â€

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Raoni Barcelos pushed to retire by top UFC analyst after frightening KO loss

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Raoni Barcelos pushed to retire by top UFC analyst after frightening KO loss

A top UFC analyst believes Raoni Barcelos should leave Mixed Martial Arts after a scary scene in the Octagon at UFC Vegas 121.

UFC bantamweight veteran Raoni Barcelos was on the wrong end of one of the best fights of the year last Saturday at UFC Vegas 121.

Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr. headlined UFC Vegas 121 at the Apex in a pivotal bantamweight matchup. The two stars treated fans to a fire fight for as long as the bout lasted, before Rosas finished Barcelos with a slam in Round 5.

Barcelos was quickly rushed to a local hospital after losing consciousness inside the Octagon at UFC Vegas 121. But luckily, Barcelos is alert, has regained use of his extremities, and is expected to make a full recovery from his health issues.

One of the men on the call at UFC Vegas 121 wants to see Barcelos hang up the gloves following a frightening scene at the Apex.

Paul Felder: Raoni Barcelos should retire after ‘body gave out'

In a recent episode of the Believe You Me podcast, UFC Vegas 121 color commentator Paul Felder pushed Barcelos to hang 'em up after the horrific loss.

“They should give Raoni, like, another five (hundred thousand) on top of (the Fight of the Night bonus) for whatever, because that might be it for him. I think, no matter what, I'd love to see him retire. Hey, your body gave out on you to some degree. Unless it comes back that it was just some fluke thing, but to get rushed to the trauma center, and you're 39?†Felder said of Barcelos.

“There's still just so many questions out there on what really went down, and if they even know. That's the scarier part: what if they can't even pinpoint what exactly caused that? You've got to be done with combat sports,†Felder continued on Barcelos. “And if so, what a career this guy's had. At 39, what a resurgence he's had. Thoughts and prayers to his family. I really hope he's OK. It was really sad to see.†(h/t Heavy)

Before UFC Vegas 121, the 39-year-old Barcelos earned five consecutive wins, including victories over Cody Garbrandt and Payton Talbott.

Should Raoni Barcelos fight again after losing to Raul Rosas Jr.? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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