• Event: UFC 282
• Date: December 11, 2022
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, USA)

Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev: Tale of the Tape

Jan Blachowicz	Fighter	Magomed Ankalaev
39	Age	30
188cm	Height	191 cm
93 kg	Weight	93 kg
12-6	UFC record	9-1
29-9	Overall MMA record	18-1
49%	Striking accuracy	54%
#2	UFC ranking	#3

Blachowicz and Ankalaev are set to square off for the vacant light heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ankalaev is known for his power, having won 10 times by knockout

Jiri Prochazka was due to defend the belt in a rematch with Glover Teixeira in the headline act, but the Czech fighter was forced to withdraw on November 23. Prochazka is set to undergo shoulder surgery and requires at least six months of rehabilitation. Therefore, he opted to vacate the title and will have the chance to reclaim it once he fully recovers.

Teixeira was offered the chance to face Ankalaev, but the Brazilian refused the replacement fight on short notice, and Blachowicz stepped in.

Blachowicz previously held the light heavyweight title, winning it in September 2020, and he successfully defended it against Israel Adesanya before losing it through a submission defeat to Texeira in October 2021.

Ankalaev is yet to hold a title in the UFC, but he has won nine fights in a row to put himself in the mix as a serious contender.

Analysing the Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev odds

Blachowicz	Ankalaev
28.60%	71.40%

Ankalaev is the 1.346* favourite, with his odds equating to an approximate 71.40% chance of victory. Blachowicz can be backed at 3.360*, which translates to a 28.60% chance of winning.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev: fighting styles analysed

Blachowicz is an extremely well-rounded fighter and has nine wins by knockout, nine wins by submission, and 11 by decision.

The Polish fighter adjusts his approach depending on his opponent, looking to expose their weakness and has enjoyed huge success in his career.

Ankalev is a power-puncher with 10 victories by knockout and eight by decision.

A Dagestan native, many would expect Ankalaev to rely on, as many of his countrymen do, his sambo background; however, he tends to prefer a stand-up approach with his hands doing the majority of the damage.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev: where is the value?

Ankalaev suffered a submission loss to Paul Craig on his UFC debut but quickly bounced back to defeat Marcin Prachnio and is now riding a nine-fight win streak.

The 30-year-old has rolled through the division and has long been tipped to become the light heavyweight champion. It's no surprise to see him rated as the favourite, and there's little value in backing the Russian for an outright win.

Blachowicz may look to take this down to the ground; however, Ankalaev, despite not leaning on his sambo skills, should be able to match him there.

It's likely that this contest will play out on the feet and it shouldn't last too long with two very heavy hitters in the octagon.

The best value bet here should be backing under 3.5 rounds at 1.925*.

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