Magomed Ankalaev Takes A Dig At Fellow UFC Champion

‘Stop Running’ – Magomed Ankalaev Takes A Serious Dig At UFC Champion, Asks Him To Face The Real Challenge!

Magomed Ankalaev disses arguably the best fighter of all time, accusing him of steroid use and ducking tough fights!

Magomed Ankalaev Takes A Dig At Fellow UFC Champion

The light heavyweight division has a new sheriff in town, and he is not afraid to call out the biggest name in the sport. Magomed Ankalaev shocked the MMA world at UFC 313 by defeating Alex Pereira to claim the 205-pound championship. The Russian fighter showcased his superior grappling to neutralize Pereira’s devastating striking. Now wearing the belt once owned by the legendary Jon Jones, Ankalaev isn’t being shy about calling out ‘Bones’ (now Meat!) on social media.

Jon Jones and controversy have walked hand in hand throughout his career. The former light heavyweight king has failed multiple drug tests over the years. Despite his checkered past, Jones remains one of the greatest fighters ever. He currently holds the heavyweight title after defeating Ciryl Gane in 2023 and defending his title against Stipe Miocic in 2024.

Also Read: Jan Blachowicz Reveals Future Plans Including Ankalaev And Pereira Ahead Of Fight Night!

The Twitter Takedown By ‘Big Ank’

Ankalaev wasted no time taking shots at Jones after winning gold at UFC 313. When Jones posted a graphic highlighting that he has more UFC title defenses than all current male champions combined with the caption “Small flex,” Ankalaev fired back with brutal honesty.

Jon Jones shared the following graphic via. Instagram

"Small flex 💪🏾🫣"

(via. @JonnyBones) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/PFimZm80AO
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 10, 2025

“Johnny steroid machine was very disappointed. I beat Alex please fight big Tom Aspinall stop running.”

Magomed Ankalaev says "steroid machine" Jon Jones needs to stop running from Tom Aspinall 😬

"Jonny steroid machine was very disappointed I beat Alex. Please fight big Tom [Aspinall] stop running."#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/5BTaCdl1P3
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 14, 2025

The timing of Ankalaev’s callout couldn’t be better. Many fans believe Jones has been avoiding a fight with Aspinall, the hard-hitting British interim champion. Jones has repeatedly stated he wanted to fight Alex Pereira in what he calls a “legacy fight.” Meanwhile, Aspinall has been waiting for his shot at unifying the titles. Ankalaev seems to have appointed himself as Aspinall’s unofficial spokesperson, even posting “Big Ank [handshake] Big Tom” to show solidarity with his heavyweight colleague.

The Path Forward

UFC CEO Dana White recently offered some clarity on Jones’ future at the UFC 313 post-fight press conference. He revealed that he was fairly certain that the fight between Jones and Aspinall would happen soon.

“I’m very confident that fight happens [in the summer].”

Dana White said the plan is to make Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall this summer with Alex Pereira fighting the winner 😳 pic.twitter.com/JuC0oEAnaY
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 6, 2025

This timeline suggests fans might finally see Jones face Aspinall in the coming months. For his part, Aspinall has shown respect for Ankalaev’s championship performance against Pereira.

The newly crowned light heavyweight champion’s verbal assault on Jones highlights the changing landscape in the UFC. A new generation of fighters like Ankalaev and Aspinall are no longer intimidated by Jones’ legacy. They are calling him out publicly and demanding their opportunity to prove themselves against the self-proclaimed GOAT.

Ankalaev’s victory over Pereira has opened new possibilities for the 205-pound division. Both fighters have hinted that a rematch might happen later this year. With Jones potentially fighting Aspinall around the same time, the UFC could create a massive card featuring both bouts!

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Jon Jones

Magomed Ankalaev

Tom Aspinall

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!