Magomed Ankalaev did not wait long to name the next fight he wants after UFC Abu Dhabi.
Fresh off stopping Bogdan Guskov in the fifth round, Ankalaev turned toward Paulo Costa and floated an interim title fight while UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg remains on the shelf.
The callout keeps Ankalaev in the center of the 205-pound title picture after his UFC Abu Dhabi main-event win. Costa was already tied to the same late-notice conversation earlier this month, when he and Jan Blachowicz said a short-notice offer to face Ankalaev did not make sense for UFC Abu Dhabi.
“You talk a lot, but we both know you never want to fight me. If you’re a real man, accept the fight and let’s do it. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. An interim title is fine with me too. No problem,” Ankalaev wrote on X.
Ulberg’s recovery timeline leaves room for the UFC to consider another high-ranked light heavyweight fight before the champion returns. Ankalaev’s message made clear he is willing to put an interim belt into that equation if Costa accepts.
