Magomed Ankalaev returned to the Octagon with a decisive victory over Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. The fight, held at Etihad Arena, marked Ankalaev’s fifth appearance in Abu Dhabi and a significant bounce-back performance after a previous title loss.
Ankalaev, a highly skilled Russian fighter, had an impressive 14-fight unbeaten streak before his recent setback. His performance against Guskov demonstrated his continued dominance in the 205-pound weight class.
Main Event Dominance
The matchup between Ankalaev and Guskov featured two ranked talents in the light heavyweight division. Ankalaev was looking to re-establish his position after dropping the light heavyweight title last October. Guskov, meanwhile, entered the fight on a five-fight unbeaten streak, which included four consecutive stoppage wins and a draw against Jan Blachowicz.
During his last outing, Guskov had battered Blachowicz in the second round, earning 10-8 scores from two officials, though he couldn’t maintain that level of dominance into the third round, resulting in a draw. Both fighters had initially been scheduled to face different opponents, with Ankalaev set to fight Khalil Rountree Jr. and Guskov slated for a rematch with Blachowicz.
Undercard Highlights
The event also showcased several other compelling matchups across various divisions. In a flyweight bout, Steve Erceg sought his third consecutive win against Ramazan Temirov. Erceg’s previous eight UFC appearances included three wins and three losses, followed by two straight victories. His setbacks included a title fight against Alexandre Pantoja, a bout against Kai Kara-France, and a match against Brandon Moreno. Erceg had recently secured back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Ode’ Osbourne and Tim Elliott.
Temirov, returning after a 12-month suspension for an anti-doping violation, had won both of his first two UFC appearances and 11 straight fights overall. His last competition was on March 1, 2025, when he bested Charles Johnson.
In the welterweight division, Islam Dulatov faced Wellington Turman. Dulatov, a member of Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’24, made his second UFC start after a year-long absence. He had previously earned a first-round stoppage win over Adam Fugitt in his debut last July at UFC 318, which also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. Turman, who had been sidelined by numerous injuries, competed for the first time since early December 2023. He began his UFC career at middleweight before moving to welterweight, and was still seeking his first win at 170 pounds within the Octagon.
A lightweight contest featured two debutants: Magomed Zaynukov and Damian Rzepecki. Zaynukov, a recent Contender Series graduate, set a record for significant strikes landed with 248 in his DWCS win last season. He brings extensive Muay Thai experience to his promotional debut. Rzepecki, with a 10-0 record and a 90-percent finishing rate, had gone the distance for the first time in his most recent outing in May. He had also been part of Ilia Topuria’s training camp for his UFC Freedom 250 bout.
Heavyweights Rizvan Kuniev and Tyrell Fortune also clashed. Kuniev debuted with a split decision loss to Curtis Blaydes last year, following a second DWCS win. He later secured a victory over Jailton Almeida earlier this year, bringing his record to 13-3-1 with one no contest. Fortune, after competing under the Bellator banner and making PFL appearances, made his first Octagon trip in March, earning a unanimous decision win over Marcin Tybura in Seattle.
Additional preliminary bouts included Valter Walker versus Thomas Petersen, Dustin Jacoby against Muhammad Said, Santiago Ponzinibbio facing Sam Patterson, Ismael Bonfim versus Axel Sola, Magomed Tuchalov against Brendson Ribeiro, Nurullo Aliev versus Mike Davis, and Cody Gibson taking on Abdul Hussein. In one of the early fights, Hussein secured his 10th career submission, extending his finishing streak to nine straight.
The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, commenced on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.
Source: ufc.com
