Magomed Ankalaev set to return against fellow light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov on February 27

By Harry Kettle - December 30, 2020

Top light heavyweight contenders will meet in late February as Magomed Ankalaev prepares to lock horns with Nikita Krylov.

Magomed Ankalaev

These two titans at 205 pounds will be hoping to make a statement to kickstart 2021 with both coming off the back of 2020 wins over legitimate names – Ion Cutelaba and Johnny Walker respectively.

All of the hype right now seems to be behind Ankalaev, but as a young veteran of this game, Krylov isn’t a man that should be counted out either.

“Per sources, light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Magomed Ankalaev has been added to UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27,” reported ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “Fun fight. Ankalaev a potential dark horse in the division. Looking to add to a five-fight win streak.”

Ankalaev will be making a relatively quick turnaround after last competing in October whereas Krylov’s win over Walker took place in March.

The UFC’s February 27 card is slated to be headlined by a light heavyweight clash between two-time UFC title challenger Dominick Reyes and former RIZIN light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka. The addition of this Ankalaev vs. Krylov bout to the card is likely no accident, as the UFC is probably hoping to bolster the lineup with light heavyweights who may be able to step into the main event should Reyes or Prochazka fail to make it to the cage.

Here’s the lineup for this February card with the addition of this Ankalaev vs. Krylov bout.

  • Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Nikita Krylov
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Raoni Barcelos
  • William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Alexis Davis vs. Sabina Mazo
  • Randy Brown vs. Alex Oliveira
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Emily Whitmire
  • Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom

Who do you think will come out on top in this newly announced light heavyweight fight? Let us know your picks in the comments section down below.