Magomed Ankalaev Stops Bogdan Guskov

Magomed Ankalaev faced Bogdan Guskov on July 25, 2026, as the main event of UFC Fight Night at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Guskov, who had accepted the fight on only 12 days notice, stepping in to replace the injured Khalil Rountree Jr., did not manage to find his rhythm throughout the fight, being too passive and allowing Ankalaev to fully control the center of the octagon. After three very passive and action-lacking rounds, in which the former champion was advancing forward and pushing the pace but having to deal with a more avoiding and not willing to engage in exchanges Guskov, Ankalaev decided to start the forth round with a single-leg-takedown, which proved to be a good idea. The Dagestani fighter controlled Bogdan throughout the whole round, attempting several submissions unsuccessfully but landing a number of heavy elbows and punches, completely dominating the action. In the fifth and final round, Ankalaev entered with the same approach, taking down Guskov to the ground. Although the Uzbek tried to submit the former champion with a Ninja Choke, he did not manage to complete it because his grip was not tight enough. From that point on, it all went downhill for Guskov, who was again controlled on the ground, while Ankalaev was landing some devastating shots on him, forcing the referee Marc Goddard to step in and stop the contest with two minutes and nineteen seconds being left in the final round. 

Although there had been some unhappy fans booing the fighters throughout the fight because of the lack of intense action in certain situations, Magomed Ankalaev managed to earn his extremely important victory, which puts him back in the winning column after his tough loss against Alex Pereira on October 4, 2025.