The UFC 282 headliner between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev was declared a split draw, which is arguably one of the most controversial decisions in UFC history.
Blachowicz and Ankalaev went toe-to-toe in the opening frame, both landing almost equally. The Russian probably edged out the round with a stinging front kick to the body that consistently found its mark.
Blachowicz invested in a low-leg kick to the shin early on that started to pay dividends in the next round itself. The Pole continued to chop away at Ankalaev’s legs, forcing the visibly compromised Dagestani to change his stance towards the end of the round.
Jan Blachowicz continued undeterred, targeting the Dagestani’s other leg in the third round. After multiple desperate attempts, Ankalaev finally managed to take the former champ to the mat in the closing seconds of round 3.
Ankalaev found success with his wrestling early in the championship rounds, dominating Blachowicz on the ground for the majority of round 4. The Pole lost his footing in the initial seconds of the final round, ending up on his back once more.
Magomed Ankalaev immediately capitalized on the opportunity and never let Blachowicz get back up on his feet. While he couldn’t secure a finish, the Dagestani continued to batter his opponent till the final bell.
Both fighters won on one scorecard each, while the third judge saw it as a draw, making it a 48-47, 46-48, 47-47 split draw. The future of the vacant light heavyweight strap remains uncertain for now.
Magomed Ankalaev credits his only professional loss for the success he has achieved
Magomed Ankalaev was handed the only professional loss of his career by Paul Craig back in his UFC debut in 2018. While Ankalaev dominated Craig throughout the fight, ‘Bearjew’ pulled off a sneaky submission win via triangle choke with a second left before the final bell.
Ankalaev has since been undefeated, going on a nine-fight win streak that earned him the title shot. The Dagestani standout claims to be unhaunted by his foiled UFC debut against Craig. If anything, Ankalaev believes that the loss made him a better athlete. The 30-year-old said during UFC 282 media day:
“Before my loss, I would be like, ‘OK, maybe I’ll miss this practice,’ or ‘Maybe I’ll skip this sparring session,’ or whatever. Since that loss, I’ve changed. I became the guy who always pushes forward, who always goes to all practices, and I try to make sure I have crossed all my T’s and dotted all my I’s. That’s why I’m here.”
Watch Magomed Ankalaev’s interview below:
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