A familiar hurdle stands between Magomed Ankalaev and his securing virtually universal acclaim as the sport’s premier player at 205 pounds.
The 33-year-old Russian sambo practitioner will defend his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title when he rematches Alex Pereira in the UFC 320 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 33-year-old Ankalaev enters the cage on the strength of a three-fight winning streak. He last suited up at UFC 313, where he took a five-round unanimous from Pereira and reached the summit of the 205-pound mountain.