The last time Magomed Ankalaev fought for the light heavyweight title, he missed out on the opportunity to become the champ after the judges declared his bout against former champ Jan Blachowicz a draw. He never got his rematch, which would have been in order given how the first one turned out. But after a climb back into title contention, Ankalaev finally has his shot again this weekend against Alex Pereira at UFC 313.

Magomed Ankalaev isn’t talked about enough because of the nature of his fights. Although he’s been dominant, his style lacks a bit of excitement, as per Dana White himself. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old has his fair share of fans, and they may know his fighting, but some of them may not have much knowledge about Ankalaev’s personal life or if he has a significant other. Well, here’s what we know.

Does Magomed Ankalaev have a wife and kids?

Just like Khabib Nurmagomedov, his protégé Islam Makhachev and the other Dagestani fighters, Magomed Ankalaev also prefers to keep the UFC fandom in the dark when it comes to his married life. In fact, there is no available information about the 205-er’s wife or if he has any children of his own. So, most of the details surrounding Ankalaev mostly cater to his inside-the-Octagon exploits.

Magomed Ankalaev has maintained the status of Dagestani fighters being some of the best on the ground, as he grew up wrestling and has a Master of Sport in combat sambo from the Russian physical education system. Besides the harsh conditions in the mountains, growing up, Ankalaev had a pretty tough time because of the loss of an important family member. The Dagestani light heavyweight suffered a loss similar to that of the 29-0 legend Khabib Nurmagomedov but at a different point in his life.

Magomed Ankalaev’s early life and family

Khabib Nurmagomedov lost his father in 2020 and it was then that he decided to call it a career because of the emotional toll the tragic passing had on him and his family. But Magomed Ankalaev lost his father back when he was a teenager. “I was in the ninth or tenth grade, I lost my father,” the 20-1-1 star stated in the UFC 313 Countdown video. “That was the most difficult age for me, when you really need a father’s support.”

Following his father’s untimely passing, Magomed Ankalaev became the man of the family since he was the eldest of his siblings. According to reports, the light heavyweight contender has one brother and three sisters. However, their information is not available in the public domain. The #1-ranked light heavyweight has spoken on occasion about his mother, but again—not much is know about her either. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old went on to achieve success in combat sports, becoming a 3-time WMMAA gold medalist three times.

Well, it all boils down to this weekend when the UFC returns to the T-Mobile Arena. Will he be able to overcome the immovable object that is Alex Pereira? Let us know your predictions in the comments down below.