Chael Sonnen has publicly criticized the UFC's decision to exclude Magomed Ankalaev from the vacant light heavyweight title fight. Sonnen noted that Ankalaev has a 1-1 record against Alex Pereira and is the only fighter in the division who has actually defeated Pereira, yet he wasn't even considered for the title bout. Sonnen expressed confusion over why the title fight doesn't include what he considers the division's most exciting fighter (Roundtree), most intriguing (Jamal), or most accomplished (Ankalaev). He argued that the current title fight features two wrong participants and that the matchup lacks a compelling storyline, so much so that people aren't even discussing the absence of the right contenders.
