“Out of His Damn Mind” –  Din Thomas’ Wild Magomed Ankalaev Trade to PFL Leaves Fans Furious

UFC veteran Din Thomas mocked Magomed Ankalaev and asked UFC to trade him before the fighter won the championship belt.

“Out of His Damn Mind” –  Din Thomas’ Wild Magomed Ankalaev Trade to PFL Leaves Fans Furious

Din Thomas doesn't think Magomed Ankalaev is a worthy superstar for UFC (via X)

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Earlier this year, Magomed Ankalaev shocked everyone by becoming the new UFC light heavyweight champion. The Russian fighter went against Alex Pereira, who looked completely unstoppable to many, and still managed to win the fight via unanimous decision. However, before the fight, nobody actually expected Ankalaev to win, and veteran analyst Din Thomas was in favor of removing him.

The competition in UFC is absolutely cutthroat, and fighters must be much more than just skilled athletes in order to survive. The top brass have consistently focused their attention on creating big-name superstars capable of selling huge pay-per-view events. During an interview, Thomas went viral, doubting Magomed Ankalaev and suggesting UFC should trade him with PFL’s women’s superstar.

I mean they (PFL) got Dakota Ditcheva, who’s a star. I’m like, ‘Yo please listen, if you guys like MMA, do this for MMA. Trade her to the UFC, you know she belongs in the UFC’. Just trade, listen, get rid of Ankalaev in the UFC, trade her for Ankalaev, we don’t need Ankalaev, you know what I’m saying. He’s not getting the title, we don’t need this guy, trade him for Dakota. Ankalaev will fit right in at the PFL, another guy that no one knows about that’s really good. 

Din Thomas via The Casual MMA Podcast 

The episode was uploaded on January 30 this year, when Ankalaev was the top contender to challenge Alex Pereira at UFC 313. Before that, Ankalaev fought Aleksandar Rakic and won the fight via unanimous decision, though the performance felt underwhelming. Many fans had expected the Russian fighter to finish Rakic with a knockout, but he admitted Rakic was his toughest opponent.

Afterward, Magomed Ankalaev silenced Din Thomas’s criticism completely by defeating Pereira convincingly and capturing the UFC light heavyweight championship belt. It was an incredible feat considering ‘Poatan’ had knocked out all three of his opponents last year, establishing his dominance. The Brazilian raised questions, as he didn’t appreciate the decision, but promised to take revenge soon. 

As expected, the UFC granted ‘Poatan’ an immediate title rematch, scheduling the fight as the main event at UFC 320. Going into the fight, Pereira surprisingly enters as the betting underdog, which completely changes the overall dynamics compared to past accomplishments. In contrast, Magomed Ankalaev’s stock is currently at an all-time high, directly going against Din Thomas’s previous critical expectations.

Fight fans react to Din Thomas’s comments on Magomed Ankalaev 

By winning the UFC light heavyweight belt, Magomed Ankalaev became the third fighter from Dagestan to ever achieve championship glory. He was warmly congratulated by Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who were the first two athletes to achieve the accomplishment.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch soon
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch soon (via X)

Nevertheless, since winning the belt, Magomed Ankalaev has shown a major change in personality, especially regarding his frequent online trolling. The fighter has continuously targeted other top light heavyweights, including Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, Khalil Rountree, and several contenders.

These actions have resulted in full-blown heated rivalries, which are expected to be settled in championship bouts very soon. Nevertheless, all this is entirely different from what Din Thomas once imagined, and here are reactions regarding his controversial comments.

As expected, many fans didn’t appreciate Thomas’s comments on Ankalaev, who has proven his doubters wrong. Others mocked a former UFC fighter for his wild takes, which often don’t make sense. Nevertheless, fans are currently hyped about the upcoming title rematch between Ankalaev and Alex Pereira. 

Pereira has posted several training clips, working extra on his takedown defense to counter the Russians’ wrestling. However, Ankalaev doesn’t think it would be helpful as he plans to get a knockout finish this time. ‘Poatan’, on the other hand, has faced several questions about his training camp, and at UFC 320, he will get his opportunity to settle everything.

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