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- ‘Uncrowned champion’ Magomed Ankalaev done with Vegas (not UFC): ‘The judges were horrible’ MMA Mania
- ‘It was mistranslated’ – Magomed Ankalaev clarifies post-fight interview after drawing Jan Blachowicz at UFC … Bloody Elbow
- Magomed Ankalaev issues statement on his split draw against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282: “It’s hard to describe the words” BJPENN.COM
- Jan Blachowicz defends UFC 282 stalemate, criticizes Magomed Ankalaev’s post-fight comments: ‘One dude cried’ MMA Fighting
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Dana White rips ‘terrible’ UFC 282 main event between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev
UFC President Dana White didn’t actually score the UFC 282 main event, because he said he tuned out after watching a less-than-thrilling affair between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev.
The five-round fight was ultimately scored a split draw, which means the UFC light heavyweight title remains vacant after former champion Jiri Prochazka relinquished the belt due to a devastating shoulder injury that prevented him from competing on Saturday.
Reacting to the main event at the UFC 282 post-fight press conference, White didn’t have much complimentary to say to either Blachowicz or Ankalaev – and the same went for the way the bout ultimately ended.
“I don’t even know,” White said when asked how he scored the fight. “I started to zone out after like f****** three rounds.”
Ankalaev was distraught after the decision was read in the cage and said “I don’t know if I’m going to fight for this organization again.” He later added he might return to “take what’s ours,” but it appeared another immediate shot at the title wasn’t in his immediate future.
White heard about Ankalaev’s discontent toward the decision and didn’t understand why there was so much surprise with the split draw.
“I heard Ankalaev is upset or whatever,” White said. “What do you want me to do? You got beat up the first two rounds. You took him to the ground. What are you going to do?”
More than anything, though, White’s anger toward the main event wasn’t necessarily about the result but rather the performances from Ankalaev and Blachowicz. That’s what ultimately led to him making the call to book Glover Teixeira against Jamahal Hill at UFC 283 in Brazil with the vacant light heavyweight title going up for grabs.
“What are you going to do?” White said. “I thought the main event was terrible. What are you going to do? You do Glover vs. Jamahal Hill in Brazil for the vacant title. Done.”
It remains to be seen what comes next for Blachowicz or Ankalaev, though a rematch could still happen — it just seems wildly unlikely that a title will be on the line.
Magomed Ankalaev-Jan Blachowicz title fight ends in bizarre split draw
LAS VEGAS — There will be no light heavyweight champion for at least several months after Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz, inexplicably, fought to a split draw Saturday in the main event of UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in their bout for the vacant title.
Judges scored it 48-46 Ankalaev, 48-47 Blachowicz and 47-47. The belt became vacant last month when champion Jiri Prochazka vacated it after a serious shoulder injury that could keep him out for up to a year.
The UFC ordered Ankalaev and Blachowicz to fight for the vacant belt and it appeared that Ankalaev had done enough to win. Yahoo Sports had it 48-47 for Ankalaev, giving him Rounds 1, 4 and 5.
But the judges’ couldn’t agree and everyone was stunned by the outcome. That included Blachowicz.
He said he didn’t feel he won and the belt should be given to Ankalaev.
Ankalaev was fighting back tears as he walked back to the locker room after pouring his heart out in the cage. He felt he’d won the fight and couldn’t understand the scoring.
“I don’t know if I’m going to fight for this organization again because I don’t know what happened,” he said.
Earlier, he said, “I won that belt. I don’t know what to say.”
Ankalaev’s strikes carried the day early, but Blachowicz was chopping at Ankalaev’s legs and caused Ankalaev to struggle to stand and pivot.
Ankalaev did what he had to do and took Blachowicz down in the fourth and then for most of the fifth, keeping him there.
But on a night filled with great fights, the card was marred by highly dubious decisions. Paddy Pimblett won the co-main event 29-28 on all cards though most observers felt Jared Gordon won.
It didn’t seem as if it could get more bizarre, but it did in the main event.
Highlights, updates and analysis as Jan Blachowicz, Magomed Ankalaev square off
Saturday’s main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas features a title fight that wasn’t even supposed to happen.
In mid-November, light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka suffered a significant shoulder injury and was forced to pull out of his UFC 282 headliner versus Glover Teixeira. Then, facing a long recovery, Prochazka vacated his belt in order to not hold up the division. Teixeira declined an opportunity to fight someone else for the title, so the UFC elevated the fight between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev to the main event and put the vacated belt on the line.
Blachowicz is ranked No. 2 and Ankalaev No. 3 in the UFC’s current light heavyweight rankings. Ankalaev is 18-1 overall and has won nine in a row in the UFC since his only career defeat, a triangle choke submission loss to Paul Craig on March 17, 2018, in London in his UFC debut.
Blachowicz is the former UFC champion who lost his belt to Teixeira on Oct. 30, 2021. He returned to win one fight, defeating Aleksandar Rakic via TKO on May 14 in Las Vegas. Rakic suffered a knee injury which forced the end of that bout.
The new co-main event at UFC 282 is a lightweight scrap between rising prospect Paddy Pimblett (19-3) and Jared Gordon (19-5). Both are elite finishers, and in 27 combined fights, they have 20 finishes. Mitchell is 15-0 with nine of his wins coming by submission, though only one of his six UFC wins was by submission. That, though, was a memorable one, a victory via twister over Matt Sayles in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7, 2019.
Topuria is 12-0 with 11 finishes, including three wins by KO in his four UFC bouts. Topuria is a slight favorite at BetMGM, coming in at -140 with Mitchell at +115 on the buyback.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole is cageside and will provide live updates and analysis in our tracker below:
UFC 282 live results, highlights, analysis
UFC 282 main card, odds (Live now on ESPN+ PPV)
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Light heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz (+260) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (-350)
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Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Catchweight (180 lbs): Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono by TKO (punches) at 2:29 of R3:
UFC 282 prelim card, odds (Live now on ESPN2/ESPN+)
UFC 282 early prelim card full results
Jiri Prochazka out of UFC 282, vacates title; Magomed Ankalaev vs. Jan Blachowicz new main event
Jiri Prochazka’s rematch with Glover Teixeira will not take place at UFC 282 after Prochazka suffered “a shoulder injury that will require a significant rehabilitation period,” the UFC announced on Wednesday following an initial report from Yahoo! Sports.
As a result of the scratch, Prochazka has vacated the UFC light heavyweight title and the UFC has promoted a light heavyweight fight between ex-champ Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankaleav to the main event of the Dec. 10 pay-per-view, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC is offering refunds to ticketholders of the original main event.
“Out of respect to the athletes and the division, Prochazka has elected to vacate his title and will compete for the belt as soon as he is medically cleared,” the UFC stated in a prepared release sent to MMA Fighting.
According to ESPN.com, the nature of the injury could possibly require up to one year of recovery time. A person close to Prochazka, who declined to be named publicly due to the sensitivity of the fighter’s situation, confirmed the injury was to the now ex-champ’s shoulder. The person said the injury will require surgery and added it “will be a long road back unfortunately.”
MMA Fighting was not immediately able to reach Teixeira for comment on the shakeup.
The reportedly former light heavyweight champ was set to make his first title defense in a rematch of a “Fight of the Year” candidate against ex-champ Teixeira, who lost via fifth-round submission in their first meeting, a back-and-forth slugfest in June at UFC 275.
The Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev matchup put the winner in prime position to vie for the title. Blachowicz, who ceded the belt to Teixeira in 2021, called out Prochazka immediately after the Czech fighter’s title win. But the new champ decided instead to run back his fight with Teixeira, wanting to correct what he felt was his worst career performance.
Below is the UFC’s full statement on Prochazka’s injury and the new UFC 282 main event:
UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has suffered a shoulder injury that will require a significant rehabilitation period. Out of respect to the athletes and the division, Prochazka has elected to vacate his title and will compete for the belt as soon as he is medically cleared.
As a result, the new UFC 282 main event will see former champion and No. 2 ranked Jan Blachowicz take on surging No. 3 ranked Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant, undisputed UFC light heavyweight championship.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with legendary knockout power, Blachowicz has finished four of his last six wins in emphatic fashion and looks to recapture his lost crown with another signature victory. Ankalaev is currently riding the second-longest win streak in UFC light heavyweight history with nine victories, including five via finish, and plans to extend his streak by claiming his first UFC title.
Due to a change in the main event, refunds will be available at point of sale. UFC 282: BLACHOWICZ vs ANKALAEV takes place Saturday, December 10 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.