Being a great hunter is not always translating into becoming a star in combat sports.
The UFC brand is selling itself right now, but MMA as a whole needs stars to really thrive and generate Buzz in the sports world.
For every Alex Pereira who cannot set a foot in this respect, you have his UFC 313 opponent, Magomed Ankalaev.
Many fight fans have been claiming the Russian hunter for several years that the 205-pound champion is waiting, but his personality and fighting style does not always make him the most exciting option.
Even when he got a shot at the empty title, his fight with Jan Bachowicz ended up on UFC 282 in a draw that led him to work back to the pecking order.
Ankalaev's long -awaited shot on the gold is just around the corner while he is preparing to challenge 'Patan' on March 8 in Las Vegas, but a former hunter believes that he should be used as a negotiating ship.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Din Thomas says that the UFC Magomed Ankalaev should exchange for PFL star Dakota Dittcheva
During a recent appearance on the MMA podcast of the casuals, former hunter commentator Din Thomas spoke about the need for promotions to make stars.
The conversation then turned to the PFL that have acquired several big names in recent years without necessarily developing.
There are some exceptions to that rule and by far the most obvious is Dakota Ditcheva.
The undefeated striking specialist originated last year as one of the best flight weights in the world after winning four consecutive fights with four Finishes to claim the world championship.
Since then there has been a lot of talk about whether the unbeaten 26-year-old will step into the Octagon in the near future at some point.
Although it seems incredibly unlikely that the PFL Dittcheva would exchange in a similar exchange as when the UFC and one championship Demetrious Johnson exchanged for Ben Askren, Thomas soon mentioned Magomed Ankalaev as a man who could go the opposite road into the transaction .
“They don't have any stars. I mean, they have Dakota Ditcheva, who is a star. “Said Thomas.
“I am so much: 'Yo Listen, if you love MMA, do this for MMA. Trade her in the UFC, you know she belongs to the UFC'. Just exchange, listen, Ankalaev in the UFC, her, her Exchange for Ankalaev, we don't need Ankalaev, you don't get the title, we don't need this guy, exchange it for Dakalaev, another man who doesn't really know that well is. “
Magomed Ankalaev was finally able to reach the top at UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev may have had to wait a long time and constantly prove to earn his title shot on UFC 313, but now his fate is in his own hands.
In the fighting capital of the world, he will look at deducting from one of the biggest stars in sport today in a matchup that, according to many, is the most difficult test of Alex Pereira's career so far.
Ankalaev has had to overcome many obstacles, but after doing that, he is now only one fight away from power in his hands.
Beating 'Patan' will not be easy, but it is exactly where Ankalaev has worked, despite all the pushback he has confronted on the way.
Comments