UFC Vegas 84 Preview

The UFC is returning to the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first event of 2024 on Saturday, January 13th. The headliner for UFC Vegas 84 will be a rematch in the light heavyweight division between contenders #3 Magomed Ankalaev and #7 Johnny Walker.

The two originally met at UFC 294 in October and the fight was ruled a no-contest after Ankalaev landed an illegal knee leaving Walker unable to continue. The fight up to that point was a great battle so fans are in store for a repeat of the first two minutes of the previous fight, respectfully with a winner crowned this time around.

The no-contest for Ankalaev followed a draw at UFC 277 for the vacant light heavyweight title. Prior to his title shot, Ankalaev won nine straight fights and looked like the road to the belt would eventually go through him. He can jump right back to the front of the title line with a convincing win over Walker on Saturday.

The Dagestani fighter believes Walker was looking for a way out of the first fight. “After that shot, he was actually the one trying to tell me that was an illegal blow – so he was conscious enough and in his mind enough to say, ‘Hey dude, that was illegal,'” Ankalaev said. “And then when they stopped the fight all of a sudden he started playing this whole thing of like, ‘Oh, I can’t fight anymore’ or whatever. But I’m pretty sure that he was basically just trying to throw the fight because he seemed to be just fine.”

Ankalaev wants to win convincingly on Saturday. “I’m not looking for just coming out there and having my hand raised at the end of the fight,” Ankalaev said. “What I want to do is I want to make sure that I get there, I make a statement and the fight is going to be over way before the final bell.”

The 31-year-old knows another title shot starts with a win on Saturday. “I believe that 2024 is my year, and by the end of this year, you’ll see that the strap is around my waist,” Ankalaev said. “As the managers are telling me, it’s basically if I win this fight, there is nobody else who deserves the title run more than I do.”

Ankalaev suffered the draw for the title against former champion Jan Blachowicz and was not given another chance for the vacant title at UFC 283. Since then a new champion has been crowned due to the title once again being vacated. Ankalaev needs a major statement against Walker to jump the line over former champions Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka.

In his career, Ankalaev has key victories over Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Volkan Oezdemir, Nikita Krylov, and Ion Cutelaba. Walker represents the biggest of his career because a loss pushes him outside of the top 5, but a win in devastating fashion will remind everyone of why he fought for the title.

Prior to the no-contest in the last fight, Walker was on a three-fight winning streak and was showing signs of being the championship prospect he was in 2019. He has reflected on the first fight with Ankalaev.

“I believe that 2024 is my year, and by the end of this year, you’ll see that the strap is around my waist,” Ankalaev said. “As the managers are telling me, it’s basically if I win this fight, there is nobody else who deserves the title run more than I do.”

The Brazilian continued, “I realize that I got the damage; if the fight kept going, I would be at a disadvantage,” Walker said. “But, at the time, you’re never going to [want to] stop the fight. If you have a broken arm, if you have a broken hand or broke whatever, feel pain, doesn’t matter. We’re always gonna try to fight because you don’t like to feel the damage; you don’t like to feel the damage sometimes.

“We don’t make smart decisions. We just want to fight, fighting to the death. We don’t give a f–k. This is us: fighters.”

Walker plans to fight smart and walk away with a victory. “I’m not worried about nothing – I have no emotion,” Walker said. “I have no hate against him. Because emotion can maybe play against you if you have hate, maybe you’re going to make a mistake. No, I’m going to be very technical, very aggressive at the right moment, without emotion. Like a robot. Like a machine. This is how you have to be so you don’t commit mistakes.”

After all of the speculation and criticism, Walker believes he has made the necessary changes since the first fight. “We know his pattern and what he likes to do, so we simulate these for many months, many weeks while sparring,” Walker said. “I’m ready for whatever he tries to do, if he takes me down, if he tries striking. I know his pattern and what he’s going to try to use against me. Nothing has changed much. Just prepare for the worst. I’m ready. Maybe I’ll put him down because you never saw him when he back is on the floor, his behavior.

“I’m pretty sure if any of my good shots land, he’s going to sleep. If I get his back, I’m going to make him sleep, too. I’m going to choke him. I always try to push and get the best of myself and to finish the fight as well. I don’t like the judges deciding the fight for me and too much hard work for someone to maybe make a wrong decision. I want to make sure I have the fight in my hands so I’m going to do my best to finish the fight.”

Walker has mentioned fighting for the title with a win on Saturday but he cannot look beyond Ankalaev. A win would be the biggest of his career, but a loss would remove him from title contention for the time being.

The rest of the main card:

Flyweight - #5 Matheus Nicolau vs. #6 Manel Kape

Lightweight - Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benítez

Bantamweight - #13 Ricky Simón vs. Mario Bautista

Middleweight - Phil Hawes vs. Brunno Ferreira

ESPN+ Prelims:

Heavyweight - Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Welterweight - Matthew Semelsberger vs. Preston Parsons

Bantamweight - Marcus McGhee vs. Gaston Bolanos

Bantamweight - Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus

Featherweight - Westin Wilson vs. Jean Silva

Lightweight Tom Nolan vs. Nikolas Motta

Flyweight Joshua Van vs. Felipe Bunes