Magomed Ankalaev’s life has changed since he fought for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 282 in December 2022. In a bizarre fight with former champion Jan Błachowicz, Ankalaev battled Błachowicz to a split draw. However, the action during the five-round fight was so underwhelming the UFC decided to book another two fighters for the championship instead of having a rematch.

Ten months after that, Ankalaev had a fight with Johnny Walker that was stopped in the first round by the ringside doctor. Ankalaev was ruled to have hit Walker with an illegal knee, and it was deemed Walker couldn’t continue. However, the controversy surrounding the ending led to UFC CEO Dana White deciding to pair up the two men against each other again this Saturday in Las Vegas.

This is the first fight night of 2024, and the promotion hopes the two men will appreciate the opportunity to settle their differences. After a few weeks, when the talk about the sport swirled around drama and hurt feelings, this card should be a fun return to normalcy, according to MMAfighting latest news.

Time to Learn How to Speak Portuguese

The Walker-Ankalaev ending happened primarily due to a language barrier. Ankalaev landed a big knee while Walker was grounded against the cage with 1 minute and 47 seconds left in the first round. Immediately, the referee signaled a pause to the fight.

The referee brought the ringside doctor in. When the ringside doctor spoke to Walker, he was asking him questions in English. Walker, a Brazilian, primarily speaks Portuguese but is taking classes to learn English. Walker didn’t answer the doctor’s questions because he didn’t understand them or didn’t hear them.

The doctor then asked the referee to stop the fight. When the fight was waived off, a near melee ensued. Walker attempted to go after the referee. He then attempted to get to Ankalaev to continue the fight but was blocked by arena security.

Neither man nor the United Arab Emirates fans in attendance were happy with the result of the fight. Walker, ranked No. 7 in the division, will need a win in his fight to move up in the rankings. With a dominant win, Anakalaev could climb back into the title picture.

Walker has made a career of highlight-reel stoppages but has also been knocked out more than a few times himself. MMA news sites show that picking up a win here would also be important for Walker’s career.

Rematch Will Highlight Co-Main Event

Walker and Ankalaev won’t be the only rematch on Saturday’s card. Matheus Nicolau and Manel Kape will meet in a battle of top 10 flyweights. Another fight between Nicolau and Kape will share another factor with the Walker-Anakalaev fight: a lot of people were less than thrilled with the result first time around.

When Kape and Nicolau met in March 2021, Nicolau earned a narrow split decision. Kape held a 61-55 edge in significant strikes, while Nicolau finished with a 76-73 advantage in strikes and scored two takedowns. Following the fight, Nicolau earned three consecutive wins before losing to future title challenger Brandon Royval via KO last April.

Kape, ranked sixth, has won four straight fights since losing to No. 5 Nicolau. Two of those victories came via impressive knockouts. 

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