December 11, (THEWILL) – Jan Bachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev’s fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship ended in an unexpected split draw, which meant that neither man was able to leave with the title.
The scorecards read 48-47 Bachowicz, 48-46 Ankalaev, and 47-47, according to ring announcer, Bruce Buffer. As Ankalaev was largely regarded as the winner, it was a scorecard that plainly startled both competitors, as well as the audience and commentary team. Indeed, Bachowicz could be seen nodding to Ankalaev and bowing his head in acknowledgement of his presumed defeat as Bruce Buffer read the scorecards.
Bachowicz displayed a strong and precise standup game in the opening round of the fight, using powerful kicks to pound Ankalaev’s legs. But Ankalaev regularly found success by altering his approach, and the Russian fighter dominated the top spot for the majority of the final 10 minutes. Ankalaev stood up and danced around the cage as the final horn sounded, but Bachowicz sat there irritated.
Ankalaev remarked through an interpreter in his post-fight interview that given how strongly he disagrees with the judgement, he is not sure whether he wants to fight for the UFC again. The UFC does not choose the judges for fights; rather, state commissions do.
After the main event, UFC President, Dana White, spoke with the media and declared that a rematch for the vacant light heavyweight title will take place in January at UFC 283. There, Jamahal Hill will compete against previous champion, Glover Teixeira.
