Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov
UFC Fight Night · July 25, 2026 · Etihad Arena
Magomed Ankalaev def. Bogdan Guskov — TKO (punches), R5 2:41
This went almost exactly to the pre-fight script. Ankalaev fought a patient, tactical fight for the first three rounds, managing distance with kicks and refusing to give Guskov the wild exchanges he needed, then mixed in his wrestling and opened up in the championship rounds. By the fifth, the accumulated damage was too much — Ankalaev put Guskov down and finished with punches at 2:41. It was the 'survive the early danger, then break him late' blueprint executed round by round, and it put Ankalaev right back in the title conversation.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
Expect Ankalaev to fight cautiously early, using the southpaw jab and low kicks while he reads Guskov's wide power shots. Guskov's best window is the first ten minutes, when his athleticism and single-shot power are most dangerous. If Ankalaev survives that stretch, his efficiency, defense, and the option to mix in takedowns should slowly break the fight open, since Guskov has given up ground control before and fades against elite pace. Ankalaev by late stoppage or a clear decision is the logical read, but every minute in there with Guskov is a live grenade.
The Matchup
This is a classic technician-versus-slugger main event. Ankalaev is the far more polished fighter — a patient southpaw who counters cleanly, absorbs barely two and a half strikes a minute, and can lean on his sambo wrestling whenever he wants a safer round. Guskov is the opposite: he has never won a decision, swings with real power for as long as the fight lasts, and carries a dangerous guillotine for anyone who shoots lazily. The question is whether Ankalaev's chin and confidence held up after the Pereira knockout, because Guskov hits hard enough to find out. Five rounds favor the more efficient man; chaos favors the Hitman.
Tale of the Tape
| Magomed Ankalaev | Bogdan Guskov | |
|---|---|---|
| 21-2-1 | Record | 18-3-1 |
| 34 | Age | 33 |
| 6'3" | Height | 6'3" |
| 75" | Reach | 76" |
| Southpaw | Stance | Orthodox |
| Russia | Country | Uzbekistan |
| Fight Club Akhmat | Team | American Top Team |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Magomed Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev is a former UFC light heavyweight champion from Dagestan, Russia, built on a combat sambo foundation and a famously disciplined southpaw counter game. He took the belt from Alex Pereira with a unanimous decision at UFC 313, then lost it back in brutal fashion when Pereira stopped him in 80 seconds at UFC 320. That defeat snapped a run of more than a decade without a loss — his only other defeat came in his UFC debut in 2018, when Paul Craig submitted him with one second left. Now he returns in Abu Dhabi looking to prove the rematch was a blip and force his way straight back into the title conversation.
- LAlex Pereira · TKO (punches and elbows)UFC 320 · October 4, 2025
- WAlex Pereira · Decision (unanimous)UFC 313 · March 8, 2025
- WAleksandar Rakic · Decision (unanimous)UFC 308 · October 26, 2024
Bogdan Guskov
“Hitman”
Bogdan Guskov is Uzbekistan's breakout light heavyweight and one of the division's most violent finishers — all 18 of his career wins have come by knockout or submission, never by decision. After dropping his short-notice UFC debut to Volkan Oezdemir in 2023, he rattled off four straight finishes, including a first-round knockout of Nikita Krylov. Last time out he fought former champion Jan Blachowicz to a majority draw at UFC 323, coming up one round short of the biggest win of his career. The Abu Dhabi main event against Ankalaev is his first UFC headliner and by far the toughest test of his life.
- DJan Blachowicz · Draw (majority)UFC 323 · December 6, 2025
- WNikita Krylov · KO (punches)UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder · July 26, 2025
- WBilly Elekana · Submission (guillotine choke)UFC 311 · January 18, 2025