Magomed Ankalaev is the man of the hour in his home region of Dagestan right now.
Ankalaev put an end to Alex Pereira’s dominant reign as the light heavyweight champion, securing a unanimous decision victory in the headlining bout of UFC 313 last weekend.
Earlier this week, the newly crowned UFC 205-pound champion received a grand reception in Dagestan. Now, as of Friday, Magomed Ankalaev has earned a prestigious accolade in his homeland, joining the ranks of his compatriot and reigning UFC lightweight titleholder, Islam Makhachev.
With his victory over “Poatan,” Ankalaev has solidified his place as a national hero, being bestowed with Dagestan’s highest medal of honor by the Head of the Republic, Sergey Alimovich Melikov.
Magomed Ankalaev recently took to Instagram to share his thoughts on this prestigious honor and revealed that receiving the recognition was an unexpected yet deeply rewarding surprise.
“At the invitation of the Head of the Republic of Dagestan, my coaches and I visited the government, where a pleasant surprise awaited me – Sergey Alimovich Melikov presented me with the highest award of the republic. During the meeting, we heard many kind words and important instructions, which inspired us to work even harder and represent the country with dignity on the international stage. Thank you, Sergey Alimovich, for your support and attention to athletes!” Anakalev posted on Instagram.
The Dagestani had his first shot at the light heavyweight title against former champion Jan Błachowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022, but after five rounds of back-and-forth action, the fight ended in a draw.
Ankalaev has now pushed his unbeaten streak to 14 fights and hinted that he is already in talks with the UFC for a rematch against Pereira — a claim the Brazilian has also confirmed.
