Magomed Ankalaev got back to his dominant winning ways, but he probably shouldn’t wait for that championship call anytime soon.
In a UFC Abu Dhabi main event that was occasionally met with boos, Ankalaev put on a workmanlike performance against short-notice replacement Bogdan Guskov before finding a finish in the final round.
Watch Ankalaev’s technical knockout stoppage below.
After only a few minutes, it was clear Guskov was not prepared to throw caution to the wind in his attempt to upset a former UFC light heavyweight champion and top 5 ranked fighter. Ankalaev invited Guskov to spar with him at range and Guskov obliged, presenting little danger and allowing Ankalaev to pick him apart on the feet.
Through the first two rounds, Ankalaev had a clear advantage on the scorecards, but that had as much to do with Guskov’s complete lack of offense as it did Ankalaev’s methodical striking game. The short-notice underdog, known for his hard-hitting knockouts, looked timid against Ankalaev and it only got worse for Guskov as the fight went on. Making matters worse for the Etihad Arena crowd, who were vocal in their displeasure, Ankalaev was content to do just enough to earn 10-9s without coming close to a finish by the end of Round 3.
In Round 4, Guskov needed a Hail Mary finish to win and instead he was grounded and nearly choked out by Ankalaev. The former champion later took Guskov down in the fifth and continued to cruise until Marc Goddard called for a strangely timed—but merciful—stoppage 2:41 into the round.
This was an important win for Ankalaev (21-2-1), who was coming off of a disappointing 80-second loss to rival Alex Pereira in a light heavyweight championship rematch this past October. That was Ankalaev’s first loss since 2018, but with his victory Saturday he is now unbeaten in 15 of his past 16 fights.
In his post-fight interview, Ankalaev put the onus on Guskov for the dull contest.
“He wasn’t engaging in the striking,” Ankalaev said via a Russian translator. “I was trying to find him and he kept getting away.”
Guskov (18-4-1) sees a five-fight unbeaten run come to an end after a disappointing performance. The Uzbek standout stepped into the UFC Abu Dhabi main event on 12 days’ notice after Ankalaev’s original opponent Khalil Rountree Jr. was forced out with an injury. Guskov was originally scheduled to meet Jan Blachowicz in a rematch next Saturday at UFC Belgrade.
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