Magomed Ankalaev will look to continue his hot streak when he takes on one of the most prolific finishers in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Ankalaev (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) faces Nikita Krylov (26-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27. The location for the event has yet to be announced.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Wednesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was the first to report the news.
Ankalaev is coming off back-to-back stoppage wins over Ion Cutelaba. After a controversial finish in their first meeting at UFC on ESPN+ 27 in February, Ankalaev left no doubt in the rematch when he knocked out Cutelaba in Round 1 at UFC 254.
Since rejoining the UFC roster in 2018, Krylov has split his past four appearances. He is coming off a win over Johnny Walker at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March in a bout that saw him register the first decision victory of his career. Krylov was scheduled to face Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 17, but the bout was scrapped after Oezdemir withdrew due to a knee injury. Now he’ll face Ankalaev on Feb. 27 in a pivotal bout for both men.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Feb. 27 includes:
- Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka
- Raphael Assuncao vs. Raoni Barcelos
- William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield
- Alexis Davis vs. Sabina Mazo
- Randy Brown vs. Alex Oliveira
- Hannah Cifers vs. Emily Whitmire
- Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Nikita Krylov
