MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz wants to see his client, UFC light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, fight Paulo Costa next.
Ankalaev is coming off a fifth-round TKO win over Bogdan Guskov in his last fight at UFC Abu Dhabi in July. While that win would likely normally be enough for him to get a title shot at 205 lbs, the problem is that current UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg is out until 2027 following ACL surgery.
That means Ankalaev will likely need to fight again in the meantime, and one potential matchup for him could be against Costa, a former UFC middleweight title contender.
Ali Abdelaziz Pitches Magomed Ankalaev vs. Paulo Costa
Speaking to MMAjunkie.com in a recent interview, Ankalaev’s manager at Dominance MMA, Abdelaziz, pitched a fight between his client and Costa, with a title shot or an interim title on the line between the two light heavyweight contenders.
“Carlos Ulberg needs to take his time. He’s the champion. I think the fight needs to happen, him and Paulo Costa. Paulo Costa said a lot of reckless things, and you know what? He does a good job to get people’s attention – not in a bad way. A lot of (exletive), they say a lot of (expletive) and they get bad attention. He’s funny. He’s witty. He’s a good fighter, too,” Abdelaziz said.
“Paulo Costa, people think he’s a joke. He’s a real serious fighter, and I think him and Ankalaev for an interim belt, for a regular fight, doesn’t matter. They just need to fight. This is what I want. That’s what the UFC wants, too. The UFC offered this fight to Ankalaev three times, and I’m not sure why this fight didn’t happen. … I don’t think his chances of winning are very high.”
Magomed Ankalaev Looking to Regain UFC Light Heavyweight Title
At UFC 313 in March 2025, Ankalaev defeated former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira via unanimous decision to capture the promotion’s 205 lbs title. But he lost it in his very first title defense when Ankalaev got knocked out by Pereira in the first round of their rematch at UFC 320 in October 2025.
The loss to Pereira in the rematch was a big setback for Ankalaev, but the good news for the Russian is that his Brazilian rival is now at heavyweight, so there is no roadblock for him to get back to the title since Pereira has now left the division.
That means the UFC should have no problem booking Ankalaev for the belt, right? Well, the problem is that he’s not exactly the most exciting fighter on the UFC roster. So while it was impressive to see him finish Guskov after dominating him the entire fight, most fans did not enjoy watching the bout, and the UFC likely took notice of that.
Either way, the win keeps Ankalaev at the top of the weight class, and regardless of whether it’s Costa or someone else like Jiri Prochazka or Khalil Rountree Jr., he’s likely one win away from fighting Ulberg for the belt.
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