What martial arts does Magomed Ankalaev use?

Magomed Ankalaev is a Dagestani MMA fighter who made his name in the UFC. Since joining the promotion he went on a dominant win streak and cemented his name as a top fighter and mixed martial artist.

A natural heavyweight, Ankalaev is best known for combining takedowns with heavy hands to devestating effect. Before staring a pro MMA career, he was an amateur MMA world champion who was also a world champion in Combat Sambo. He also graduated from the Dagestan University with a degree in sports. Unsurprisingly, he used this time to learn and improve martial arts. If you’d like to know what specific styles he uses when fighting, then read on.

Martial arts used by Magomed Ankalaev uses

Greco Roman Wrestling

One of the first martial arts that Ankalaev ventured into was Greco Roman wrestling. For those that don’t know, Greco Roman Wrestling is a form of wrestling that bans touching below the hips. In other words, it utilizes upper body throws and holds. This means that you can’t do foot sweeps or single or double leg takedowns. These are very common in freestyle wrestling, so it means that Greco Roman is pretty different in that sense.

As a result, many people claim that Greco Roman wrestling is similar to Judo but without the gi. Obviously, there’s still differences but there’s also a lot of similarities. Greco Roman is great for MMA too, as you don’t risk getting your head punched whilst ducking low for a takedown. Also, you can’t really get caught in guillotine’s due to low posture either.

Whilst fighting, Ankalaev uses his Greco Roman wrestling to force takedowns. Although he usually wins by punches, it’s pretty useful to be able to throw people around when needed. This can be done in an offensive sense to put opponents down, or defensively to stop a flurry of punches. In his first UFC fight against Paul Craig, he took down Craig several times by using Greco Roman throws which shows his effectiveness in the discipline.

Sambo

Before starting MMA, Ankalaev had a history in Sambo. Specifically, he trained and competed internationally in Combat Sambo. This isn’t too surprising as Sambo is very popular in Russia, particularly in Dagestan. Most noticably, Khabib Nurmogamedov was a Sambo Champion before using it so successfully in the UFC. It seems that Ankalaev followed in his footsteps too, also brining Sambo into MMA with great success.

Whilst Sambo also uses throws – it does so in the gi and allows lower body grips. This means that Ankalaev would also have freestyle wrestling experience making him more versatile. Another key part of Sambo is its use of submissions such as armbars and chokes. In short, Sambo is great for MMA as it blends throws with submissions.

Interestingly though, Ankalaev isn’t really known for his submissions. Instead, he mainly uses his Sambo to take people down and then use pressure whilst on top. Instead of opting for takedowns, he usually finishes his opponents by punches which is where his number of knockout and unanimous decision victories come from. Arguably, chosing to win through this method is safer compared with going for submissions as it is less risky and has greater control.

Remember, Ankalaev competed in Combat Sambo before MMA which is very similar. So, it’s no surprise that he transitioned so easily when entering the cage. Ankalaev wasn’t exactly a Sambo hobbyist either, he is a Master of Sport in Combat Sambo which is the equivalent of being an advanced black belt which says it all.

Boxing

Although Ankalaev is a top grappler, it would also be naive of him to solely rely on his grappling skills. This means that he’s also very well versed when it comes to conventional boxing. This is a staple of modern MMA as blending striking with grappling is a very successful combination. Often, Ankalaev will combine strikes to set up takedowns and keep his opponents going.

As Ankalaev is a heavyweight, it makes sense for him to use boxing too, as it’s a pretty commonly used route to victory in the higher MMA weight classes. Because of his size, this means that it can only take one punch to instantly end a fight by knockout. And, aside from unanimous decision wins, punch knockouts are his favorite way of winning. This can be done from standing – and also from the floor from a top position. In other words, trying to beat Ankalaev is a complex puzzle where he is skilled in all areas.

Speaking of which, Ankalaev is also no slouch when it comes to kicking either. Although most of his strikes come by punches, he did defeat Marcin Prachnio by a front kick to the head and against Dalcha Lungiambula, he also used a head kick to knock him out. In short, if you can’t take him down then you’ll most certainly lose.

Conclusion

Overall, Magomed Ankalaev is a very well-rounded fighter who is comfortable on his feet and on the ground. This comes as no surprise considering his MMA record which has made light work of some very experienced, tough fighters. In conclusion, Ankalaev is a good example of modern Dagestani fighters, who have a high fight IQ, combined with a solid base in wrestling and striking.

Although he is known for his background in Sambo, Ankalaev isn’t just a grappler. As his win record states, he is very handy with his fists and can also add kicks to his arsenal when required. To briefly sum up though, Magomed Ankalaev mostly combines Sambo and wrestling to win takedowns and then grind his opponents to the floor, or punch his opponents from standing which is equally as dominant.