Chael Sonnen criticizes Ankalaev's exclusion from title fight

Chael Sonnen has voiced strong criticism regarding Magomed Ankalaev's absence from the vacant light heavyweight title bout. Sonnen points out that Ankalaev holds a 1-1 record with Alex Pereira and is the only person in the division who has defeated Pereira, yet he was not even considered for the championship fight. Sonnen expressed confusion about why the title fight excludes the division's most spectacular fighter (Rountree), most intriguing (Jamal), or most accomplished (Ankalaev). He argues that the storyline for the current title fight is so weak that people aren't even discussing the absence of more deserving contenders, stating that both current participants are the wrong choices.