Who is Magomed Ankalaev? MMA record, personal life, and everything you need to know about Johnny Walker's UFC Vegas 84 opponent

Magomed Ankalaev is set to rematch Johnny Walker in the main event of UFC Fight Night 234 on January 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas after their first fight ended in a No-Contest (NC).

The pair's first meeting at UFC 294 was ruled as an NC after an illegal knee strike from the Russian rendered Walker unable to continue the fight, per the ring-side physician.

Ankalaev currently holds the No.3 spot on the light heavyweight ladder and is a former title challenger. At UFC 282, he failed to claim the light heavyweight strap as his fight against former champion Jan Blachowicz ended in a split draw.

Ankalaev was born in Dagestan, a region famous for producing fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, and was raised as a Muslim by his family, who are of Avar descent.

While there is little information regarding his family life, the light heavyweight star is known to regularly visit his hometown to connect with his faith and loved ones.

Per a report by TUKO, he attended Dagestan State University and began training in Greco-Roman wrestling while in college. The UFC star also competed in combat Sambo during this time and was awarded the title of Master of Sport in the discipline.

The Gorets Fight Team affiliate holds a record of 17-1-1 with one No Contest and boasts wins against the likes of former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.

Watch Magomed Ankalaev's UFC highlights below:

Per UFC's official website, Ankalaev is a -520 favorite over Walker (+390 underdog) for their rematch.

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Johnny Walker predicts his rematch against Magomed Ankalaev

Johnny Walker believes he is going to get the better of Magomed Ankalaev this Saturday at the UFC Apex.

Talking about the upcoming matchup with TMZ Sports, the Brazilian claimed that he was hoping to land a crack at the light heavyweight strap with a win against the former title challenger.

As for how the rematch will play out, Walker believes he has multiple ways to victory. During the interview, he said:

"I see me landing a good shot on him, start hurting him, and he [is] going to punch and make a mistake, and I'm going to knock him out or take him down, put his back on the floor too. Let's see how he deals with jiu-jitsu... because you [have] seen him putting people down, but you have never seen him [with] his back on the floor."

Catch Jonny Walker's comments on Magomed Ankalaev below (2:14):