Magomed Ankalaev, through his manager Abdelaziz, issued a callout to Khalil Rountree with a specific challenge. Ankalaev acknowledged that Rountree has been training wrestling extensively with Khamzat Chimaev, but stated that grappling skills won't be necessary for their potential matchup. The Russian light heavyweight contender expressed his desire to deliver a 25-minute striking masterclass to Rountree, while questioning whether Rountree could last that long. The message was clearly intended to promote a potential standup-focused fight between the two. Ankalaev's callout suggests confidence in his striking abilities and appears designed to goad Rountree into accepting a fight on those terms.
