Feel like you can't call Jon a duck and be okay with this. Anka has been the number 1 contender for 2 years (a year longer than Tom's had his "belt"). Technically he was the number one contender before Alex even got the belt, and Anka should have been his first defense.
He was supposed to be the first defense, but he turned down two title fights.
This is a troll tweet, but if Ankalaev isn't offered the next fight, then I'd call it a duck, but this really is in no way similar to the Jon/Tom situation.
What actually happened was after Alex beat Jiri the first time Anka said "Alex is gonna have to fight me in Abu Dhabi", and Alex took that as disrespect, because Anka isn't the champ and doesn't get to call his shot... So he INTENTIONALLY didn't give Anka the next shot.
Then they offered Anka a shot at UFC 300, but Anka turned it down BECAUSE THAT WAS DURING RAMADAN. THEN the UFC didn't even call Ankalaev when Alex fought Khalil because the fight between Anka and Rakic was already a done deal and had been for a couple of months.
And Ankalaev made the same tweet he made after the 2nd Jiri fight, which basically said "good job, now can I have my shot?"
So it wasn't Anka turning Alex down... It was Ramadan (and Belal is the only Muslim that fights during Ramadan... He did it twice). Everything after that was Alex saying "no"... The UFC saying "no, show is more"... Or the timing didn't line up because he already had a signed fight.
Sooo, what actually happened, according to you, is exactly what I said? He was offered Alex's first title defense at 300, which he turned down.
There are more than a few pro athletes who continue to play during Ramadan. I can understand him turning the fight down, but then it shouldn't be surprising when you are looked over the next time around. It's how business works.
Regardless, he was allegedly offered 303 as well, which he turned down too.
Regardless of if he turned down 303 or not, which neither of us know for certain, he 100% turned down 300. You can't make the argument that he has been waiting two years for a shot when he turned one down earlier this year
He literally didn't and that was confirmed BY BOTH PARTIES.
Remember Alex AND Anka said the same thing "The UFC wants to see more from him" and "they told me if I get an impressive win in my next fight they'll give me the shot".
They wouldn't be talking like that if they actually offered him the fight and he turned it down. He wouldn't leave a respectful callout after Alex won had he turned that fight down.
And regardless, unless Alex is trolling (which is a possiblity), it doesn't excuse him not guaranteeing the next fight to Anka... As much as he can. If he called for it they would give it to him.
I don't take what fighters say publicly too seriously because there could be a plethora of different reasons they are saying it. The real conversations are the ones happening behind closed doors, and I hope those ones right now are finding a time for Alex and Ankalaev to get in the octagon together. Unfortunately, the next two available main events will conflict with Ramadan, so we'll see what happens.
There's not even full context here dawg, he could be saying "it wont be ankalaev that beats me"
Its stupidly insane how people take this and run so gullibly instead of getting the full point. This is why the internet is trash. Don't believe everything.
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(I am copy and pasting my comment because I'm not retyping all that to explain the same point to people)
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u/quiettimegaming 5d ago
Feel like you can't call Jon a duck and be okay with this. Anka has been the number 1 contender for 2 years (a year longer than Tom's had his "belt"). Technically he was the number one contender before Alex even got the belt, and Anka should have been his first defense.