Chael Sonnen criticizes Ankalaev's exclusion from light heavyweight title fight

Chael Sonnen has publicly criticized the UFC's decision to exclude Magomed Ankalaev from the vacant light heavyweight title fight. Sonnen emphasized that Ankalaev holds a 1-1 record against Alex Pereira and is the only fighter in this group who has actually defeated Pereira, yet he wasn't even considered for the title bout. Sonnen expressed confusion about why the division's most spectacular fighter (Rountree), most intriguing (Jamal), or most accomplished (Ankalaev) weren't included. He concluded that the current title fight has such a weak storyline that people aren't even discussing the absence of the right contenders, stating that both participants are the wrong choices.