Chael Sonnen has openly criticized the decision to exclude Magomed Ankalaev from the vacant light heavyweight title fight. Sonnen pointed out that Ankalaev holds a 1-1 record against former champion Alex Pereira and is the only fighter in the top of the division who has actually defeated Pereira. Despite this, Ankalaev was not even considered for the title bout. Sonnen argued that the current title fight lacks a compelling storyline because it doesn't feature the most exciting fighter (Roundtree), the most intriguing (Jamal), or the most accomplished (Ankalaev). He concluded that both participants in the actual title fight are the wrong choices.
