This is the live blog for Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov, the light heavyweight main event for Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi card at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Ankalaev (20-2-1, 1 NC) is fresh off of losing his UFC title after a brutal knockout loss to rival Alex Pereira in their rematch, his first defeat since 2018. That result bumped Ankalev down to the No. 3 spot in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings (following Pereira moving to heavyweight and Carlos Ulberg capturing a vacant 205-pound title), and he’s also holding on to the No. 17 spot in our Pound-for-Pound Rankings.
Prior to his UFC 320 setback, Ankalaev was undefeated in 14 straight fights, scoring key wins over Pereira, Aleksandar Rakic, Anthony Smith, Volkan Oezdemir, and several other top contenders to claim the light heavyweight championship. However, given how long it took Ankalaev to receive serious contender consideration, it could be a while before he gets another crack at gold.
If Ankalaev can’t get past Guskov (18-3-1), then it’s all but guaranteed his title hopes are over. Guskov steps in on short notice for an injured Khalil Rountree Jr. after previously being scheduled to rematch Jan Blachowicz next Saturday at UFC Belgrade. Currently the No. 12 light heavyweight in the MMA Fighting rankings, Guskov can shake up the top 5 of the division with an upset Saturday.
Check out the Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov live blog below.
