Russian 205’er Magomed Ankalaev is on the hunt for a deserving title shot as he makes his return to Abu Dhabi at UFC 308. Taking on Austrian ace Aleksander Rakic, the Russian star would hope to continue his unbeaten run following an emphatic knockout win over Johnny Walker last time out. As we inch closer to the second UFC PPV of the month, let’s have a little detailed look at Ankalaev’s physical stats.

There are some pretty big light heavyweights fighting under the UFC banner. We can take the reigning and defending champion Alex Pereira as an example as well, who stands 6-foot-4-inches tall and packs an extraordinary amount of power in his punches, which is something that he’s become popular for. But what about Magomed Ankalaev? ‘Russian Terror’ has been asking for a fight against Pereira, but can his physique be a threat to ‘Poatan’? Well, let’s have a look.

What weight is Magomed Ankalaev?

Magomed Ankalaev has been pretty consistent in making weight for fights, and most recently he successfully cut down to the light heavyweight limit, weighing 204.5 lbs for his fight against Johnny Walker. During an interview in 2022, Ankalaev revealed what he thought about his weight-cutting process. He claims to have no issues losing weight, but like most fighters, the 32-year-old also struggles when shedding the last few pounds, or in his words, kilograms.

“I don’t really have problems with weight loss, only the last kilograms torment me a little. And so we endure,” Ankalaev told ‘RINGSIDE24’. Meanwhile, if we talk about his regular walkaround weight, Ankalaev, in his own words, claimed to be walking around at 100 kgs (220 pounds). In that process, the Russian national dismissed any plans for a heavyweight move.

“I have a working weight of about 100 kilograms. For a heavyweight, this is very little, so I don’t think about it,” Magomed Ankalaev added. Well, we’re done with the weight aspect of the 32-year-old’s physique, so let’s explore the details of his height.

How tall is Ankalaev? Height, reach, and other stats

If we try a comparison between Magomed Ankalaev and the best fighter in the 205-pound division, which, of course, is Alex Pereira, the Russian star is just an inch shorter than the reigning champion. At six feet and three inches, he is higher than the contested average height of a UFC light heavyweight contender, which reportedly stands at six feet and two inches tall. Even Ankalaev’s upcoming opponent, Aleksander Rakic, is an inch taller than him, which could be a factor in their fight.

The more the height, the more the reach, on most occasions. As such, the Austrian has a reach advantage over Ankalaev by three inches. Could this help him maintain distance while trying to land strikes? It might, but as we all know, Ankalaev has a base in wrestling, and he might make use of it even though he’s got the same amount of career KOs as Alex Pereira in MMA and 0 submission wins.

Let us know what you think about Magomed Ankalaev’s stature heading into UFC 308. Do you think he can overpower Aleksander Rakic? Drop your comments below.