What is Magomed Ankalaev's religion? Exploring his ethnicity, family, and more
Light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev is set to return to action this weekend when he faces Johnny Walker at UFC Fight Night 234.
Ankalaev and Walker will headline the event in a rematch of their bout from UFC 294. The first fight was ruled a no contest after the Ankalaev landed an illegal knee on the Brazilian, which rendered him unable to continue.
Their rematch, which takes place on Jan 13. at the Apex Centre in Las Vegas, is likely to be Ankalaev's last for a number of months. That's because the 31-year-old is a devout Muslim and will soon take part in Ramadan in March, the holy month in the Islamic calendar.
The No.3-ranked light heavyweight was born in Makhachkala, Dagestan, in Russia as part of a family of Avar descent. He was raised as a Muslim from birth and often credits his religion for his successes in the octagon.
Whilst not much is known about Ankalaev's immediate family, he is known to regularly visit his hometown in Dagestan to spend time with his loved ones and connect with his faith.
Should the Russian contender pick up the victory against Walker this weekend, it will put an end to a mixed period of form for the fighter. He heads into the bout this weekend without wins in his last two fights after drawing against Jan Blachowicz and illegally kneeing Walker.
Johnny Walker vows to exact revenge against Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch
Johnny Walker has promised his fans that he's planning on finishing Magomed Ankalaev this weekend when the pair headline the first UFC event of 2024.
Their fcontest at UFC 294 ended in a no contest after Ankalaev caught Walker's head with an illegal knee whilst he was downed. The bout was then waved over as the octagon doctor ruled him unable to compete.
In a recent interview with The Schmo, the No.7-ranked contender vowed to give their rematch a conclusive finish. He said:
“One hundred percent. I have some business to deal with [Magomed Ankalaev] because the last fight was not the way I expected it to be. I felt him already. I felt everything. I know his power and I have some very big surprises for him.”
The 31-year-old also stated that he believes Magomed Ankalaev's illegal knee was intentional. He continued:
"I can’t wait to put my hands on him and make him pay. It’s going to be like a little revenge because he landed a bad, illegal knee in Abu Dhabi. He has control of the fight. He knows what he was doing. You can never land an unintentional knee."
Catch Walker's comments regarding Magomed Ankalaev here (1:20):