Chael Sonnen criticizes exclusion of Magomed Ankalaev from title fight

MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has publicly criticized the decision to exclude Magomed Ankalaev from the vacant light heavyweight title fight. Sonnen pointed out that Ankalaev not only has a 1-1 record against Alex Pereira, but is the only fighter in the current top contenders group who has actually defeated Pereira. Despite this credential, Ankalaev was not even considered for the title bout. Sonnen expressed bewilderment that the fight doesn't feature either the most exciting fighter in the division (Roundtree), the most intriguing (Jamal), or the most accomplished (Ankalaev). He concluded that both participants in the current title fight are the wrong choices, calling the matchup's narrative extremely weak.