Magomed Ankalaev appears to have locked in each a date and an opponent for his return battle.
Ankalaev was final seen in motion in October 2025 at UFC 320, the place his first mild heavyweight title protection led to a brutal first-round TKO loss to Alex Pereira of their rematch.
Following the defeat, it emerged that the 33-year-old Russian had entered the bout with a damaged rib and aggravated the damage throughout the battle. He was sidelined within the aftermath, however after a nine-month layoff, Ankalaev now seems set to return to the Octagon.
Magomed Ankalaev Focused To Struggle Khalil Rountree Jr. On UFC Abu Dhabi Headliner
Magomed Ankalaev is reportedly being focused for a return bout towards former mild heavyweight title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr., with the matchup anticipated to headline a UFC Abu Dhabi card on July 25 on the Etihad Area within the United Arab Emirates.
The potential matchup was first reported by VestnikMMA on X.
The previous 205-pound champion additionally appeared to trace on the matchup’s affirmation by way of a number of social media posts.
Previous to his loss to Alex Pereira, Ankalaev had been using a dominant 14-fight unbeaten streak, highlighted by his unanimous determination victory over “Poatan” to say the sunshine heavyweight title at UFC 313 in March 2025. He at the moment holds a 12-2-1 document within the UFC, together with one no-contest, and notable wins over Aleksandar Rakić, Johnny Walker, and Thiago Santos.
In the meantime, Khalil Rountree Jr. is about to return following a brutal knockout loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320. Previous to that setback, “The Battle Horse” had rebounded from his defeat to Pereira at UFC 307 with a dominant, one-sided unanimous determination victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku in June final yr.
Rountree Jr. has compiled a ten–7 document within the UFC with one no contest, with key victories over Anthony Smith, Dustin Jacoby, and Gokhan Saki.
