Not-worried Magomed Ankalaev dismisses ‘Polish power’ ahead of UFC 282 title fight — ‘I want to dominate’

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will send No. 3-ranked light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev into battle against No. 2-ranked former champion Jan Blachowicz atop the UFC 282 pay-per-view (PPV) event, locked and loaded for this Sat. night (Dec. 10, 2022) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Watch them come face-to-face ahead of their championship showdown right here.

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TWO TITLES UP FOR GRABS! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) makes its highly anticipated return to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sat., Nov. 11, 2023, with a re-worked pay-per-view (PPV) main card. In the ESPN+-streamed main event, former 205-pound roost-ruler, Jiri Prochazka, will lock horns with ex-Middleweight kingpin, Alex Pereira, for the promotion’s vacant Light Heavyweight title. In UFC 295’s co-main event, top-ranked Heavyweight contenders, Sergei Pavlovich (No. 2) and Tom Aspinall (No. 4), will collide for the interim strap after division champion, Jon Jones, was injured with a torn pectoral muscle and forced to withdraw (video).

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Ankalaev vs. Blachowicz was elevated from title eliminator to title fight when then-champion Jiri Prochazka blew out his shoulder and was forced to surrender the strap. Ex-titleholder Glover Teixeira was unwilling to accept a new opponent on short notice (more on that story here) and will instead head to the sidelines to await his next assignment.

So what’s the scouting report on Blachowicz?

“I can’t say anything bad about Blachowicz as an opponent,” Ankalaev told reporters during the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference (watch the replay here). “He’s a great fighter, a great guy, but this fight is my dream. This is my opportunity. I will do whatever I have to do to make sure I come out of that Octagon with a title. I’m not really worried about legendary Polish power or anything else. I want to dominate the fight from the beginning to the end. I want to make sure I am the one who is the aggressor. I will do whatever I have to do to walk out with that title.”

Blachowicz was equally complimentary in his assessment.

“He’s had an amazing UFC career, nine-win streak so it’s time to stop it,” Błachowicz told UFC.com. “Too much of good and time to make his record 17-2, but I have big respect to him because he’s great and a tough opponent. I have to be ready for a very tough fight. I think nobody has found a way to beat him, only one. Paul Craig found a way to beat him so I’m going to have to be the second one.”

The 29-9 Blachowicz captured six of his last seven and rebounded from his championship loss to the aforementioned Teixeira by outlasting the injured Aleksandar Rakic back in May. Ankalaev (17-1) is the winner of nine straight with five nasty finishes, including last summer’s technical knockout victory over veteran bruiser Anthony Smith.

This could be “Fight of the Night” ... assuming it makes it past the opening frame.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 282 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 282: “Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the complete UFC 282 fight card and PPV line up click here.