Jan Blachowicz faces Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282

A potential No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division is set. In the packed lineup for the final pay-per-view event of 2022, Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev joins the fray. On December 10, at UFC 282, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will square off in a battle that may create a new No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight category.

The fight between Blachowicz and Ankalaev was set up after the UFC chose to go ahead with Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira's immediate rematch. The replay is still planned for the same event but there is a possibility that it moves to January at UFC 283, In either case, Blachowicz and Ankalaev will face off in a matchup of two of the best 205-pound competitors in the globe.

Blachowicz hoped that his victory against Aleksandar Rakic would earn him a crack at gold right away after he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Teixeira in 2021. Instead, The Polish Powerhouse will be matched up with the dominant force in the division, Ankalaev, who has steadily moved up the UFC rankings and become a major threat ever since joining the company.

Ankalaev has won nine straight matches since his only defeat in his MMA career to Paul Craig in his debut UFC bout four years ago. The former WFCA light heavyweight champion has defeated former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith in some of his most recent contests. Ankalaev's title chance would most likely be secured with a victory against Blachowicz, raising the stakes for their fight at the UFC's final pay-per-view in 2022.

There are also a lot of well-known athletes on the undercard. For the event, Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio and Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus are two other noteworthy matches that are scheduled. Bo Nickal, a very excellent wrestler, will face Jamie Pickett in the event's UFC debut.