Poatan's rival, Ankalaev, could become Borrachinha's opponent in a UFC title fight; understand why

Ankalaev promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Out of action since October, Magomed Ankalaev is back in the world's most famous octagon. In the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi , which takes place this Saturday (25), the Russian faces Bogdan Guskov and, in case of victory, will be in a great position to compete for the light heavyweight belt (up to 93 kg) again. And if the former champion starred in a tense rivalry with a Brazilian, he already sees another crossing his path.

In 2025, Ankalaev faced Alex Poatan twice, with one victory for each side, and in the current season, he is poised to face Paulo Borrachinha . The explanation is simple. Since Carlos Ulberg , who won the belt in April by knocking out Jiri Prochazka in the first round, suffered a serious leg injury in a fight, he is expected to be sidelined for a considerable time. Therefore, Dana White revealed that the UFC is likely to create an interim title, and the Brazilian is well-positioned to compete for it. With this projection, the Russian also positions himself as a potential candidate to fight for the valuable title.

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For this to happen, the former champion needs to confirm his status as favorite against Valter Walker 's friend at UFC Abu Dhabi . It's worth noting that Borrachinha is the only member of the top 6 light heavyweights coming off a victory. In April, the bad boy surprised and impressed by knocking out the feared Azamat Murzakanov in the third round. Currently, the Brazilian is ranked fourth in the division. Ankalaev, knocked out by Poatan in just over a minute in October, has the chance to recover this Saturday and reclaim the top spot.

Borrachinha promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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The curious thing is that Ankalaev and Borrachinha are exchanging taunts, thus promoting a hypothetical fight for the interim light heavyweight title, even without the UFC having officially confirmed this plan. On one side, the Brazilian questioned the former champion's quality , calling him overrated. On the other, the Russian countered the bad boy, downplaying his ability and calling him a "chicken ." Not satisfied, Magomed, already planning the duel against Paulo, suggested two dates for its realization.

Therefore, given the historic Brazil vs. Russia rivalry in MMA and his status as a former light heavyweight champion, Ankalaev has a good chance of being Borrachinha's opponent in a potential interim title fight. However, it's pointless for the Russian to get ahead of himself and think about the Brazilian while forgetting about Guskov. Furthermore, the former champion needs to be wary of the Uzbek fighter, as he's a natural knockout artist, took the fight at the last minute in place of Khalil Rountree , and is eager to ruin everyone's plans and bring chaos to the division.

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Please note the UFC Abu Dhabi schedule.

UFC Abu Dhabi will be held this Saturday (25) and will start at an alternative time for the Brazilian public. The event starts at 10 am (Brasília time) with 13 fights. The main card is scheduled to start at 13 pm.