Poatan and Ankalaev face off before their UFC fight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC_Brasil
Magomed Ankalaev doesn't hide the impact of his loss to Alex Poatan at UFC 320, held in October 2025. After winning the light heavyweight title (up to 93kg) by defeating the Brazilian by unanimous decision at UFC 313 in March of the same year, the Russian arrived confident for the rematch. However, he was surprised and ended up being knocked out in just 80 seconds , a result that cost him the title and shook his emotional state during the following weeks.
In an interview with 'MMA Fighting', Ankalaev revealed that the defeat represented the most difficult moment of his career and one of the worst days of his life.
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“It must have been the worst day of my life, I can say that. I lost the fight, I lost the belt, and it was very difficult for me to come back here. But time was taken, the work was done, and I'm back, a totally different fighter,” said Magomed Ankalaev.
Besides losing the belt, the Russian admitted that he faced a period of approximately one month away from training, without even the motivation to go to the gym. However, according to the former champion, the break was necessary to recover mentally before resuming his routine as a different fighter.
“It wasn’t very long, it must have been about a month that I was resting and couldn’t get together to go to the gym and things like that. But then I got together and went back to the gym and I think I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, the best shape of my life,” the Russian continued.
Relive the duels between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Poatan in the UFC.
Poatan attacks Ankalaev. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Ankalaev entered the UFC 313 octagon at a time when Alex Poatan was at the peak of his MMA career . The Brazilian was riding a four-fight knockout streak in title fights against Jiri Prochazka , Jamahal Hill , Prochazka again, and Khalil Rountree . Despite the then-champion being the favorite, the Russian neutralized his opponent's main weapons by controlling the distance, dominating the clinch, and constantly threatening takedowns, securing a unanimous decision victory.
In the immediate rematch, scheduled for UFC 320, Poatan's team stated that the fighter had fought injured in the first encounter and promised a different performance. This time, the Brazilian adopted an aggressive stance from the first seconds and needed only 80 seconds to regain the belt, knocking out Ankalaev with a strong right cross, followed by elbows to the ribs in ground and pound.
After the setback, Magomed Ankalaev 's team exclusively revealed to SUPER LUTAS that the Russian also competed injured in the rematch , fighting with a compromised rib. The former champion himself later admitted that he regretted the decision to compete under those conditions.
Magomed Ankalaev bets on a fresh start towards the top of the UFC.
Despite the frustration, Ankalaev believes that the loss to Alex Poatan could represent a turning point in his career. The former light heavyweight champion stated that he sees the defeat as an opportunity for growth and drew a parallel with his first UFC loss, suffered against Paul Craig.
In the Russian's view, that result also seemed devastating at the time, but it was followed by a long series of dominant performances. Confident, Ankalaev believes he can repeat this recovery process and return to the top of the division.
“Many fighters say they need to lose to evolve and become better. It was definitely the right time for me to have that loss. As you remember, my first loss in the UFC (to Paul Craig ) was also a terrible loss. And I came back dominant for such a long time, so I think we'll see that again,” concluded the former light heavyweight champion.
Ankalaev's optimism is based on an important precedent in his own career. In his UFC debut in March 2018, the Russian faced Paul Craig and came close to victory after dominating virtually the entire fight. However, he was ultimately surprised by a triangle choke submission just one second before the end of the third round, suffering the first defeat of his career and ending an undefeated streak of nine consecutive wins.
The response to the setback was immediate. In the following years, Ankalaev built a streak of 12 victories, six of them by knockout, culminating in winning the light heavyweight title against Alex Poatan . During this period, his only no-contests were a draw with Jan Blachowicz and a no-contest against Johnny Walker.
The first step in this reconstruction attempt will take place next Saturday (25). In the main fight of UFC Abu Dhabi , Magomed Ankalaev returns to the octagon to face Bogdan Guskov in a duel that could put the former champion back on the path to the belt and mark the beginning of the recovery that he believes he is able to repeat in the light heavyweight division.
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