UFC Abu Dhabi Recap: Ankalaev vs Guskov Results, Full Card, Video Highlights & Fan Reaction
By Real Combat Media MMA Editorial Staff
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, (July 25th, 2026)–Magomed Ankalaev is back in the win column, and he got there the long way. The former UFC light heavyweight champion needed all five rounds to put away short-notice replacement Bogdan Guskov, closing the show with a ground-and-pound TKO to headline UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov inside Etihad Arena. The rest of the card in Abu Dhabi delivered in a way the main event didn’t always manage, with eight finishes across twelve fights, a highlight-reel knockout in the co-main event, and a fifth straight leg-lock submission that keeps building Valter Walker’s case as one of the sport’s most avoided grapplers.
Main Event Breakdown
Ankalaev (22-2-1, 1 NC) came in looking to answer questions after Alex Pereira snapped his 14-fight unbeaten UFC run last October. Guskov, filling in on two weeks’ notice for the injured Khalil Rountree Jr., gave Ankalaev a threat with his power early, but the Dagestani veteran controlled range with kicks and straight punches through the first three rounds. Ankalaev turned to his wrestling in the championship rounds, put Guskov (18-4-1) on the mat, and referee Marc Goddard finally stepped in with Guskov unable to answer back at 2:41 of Round 5. It was a workmanlike, sometimes plodding performance that got the job done, and it put Ankalaev right back in the mix at 205 pounds even if it didn’t make many highlight reels along the way.
Co-Main Event and Card Highlights
Ramazan Temirov needed less than five minutes to make his own statement, blasting former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg with a first-round knockout that pushed his Octagon record to 3-0 and earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Heavyweights Rizvan Kuniev and Tyrell Fortune put on the show’s Fight of the Night before Kuniev finished the job with strikes in Round 3, and Valter Walker banked his own $100,000 bonus by locking up a first-round calf slicer on Thomas Petersen, his fifth consecutive submission win inside the Octagon. Newcomers Abdul Hussein, Axel Sola and Sam Patterson, along with veteran Muhammad Saidov, each collected $25,000 finish bonuses, and Ankalaev’s stoppage of Guskov earned him one of his own.
Post-Fight Press Conference
Ankalaev used his time at the podium to look ahead rather than dwell on the performance. With champion Carlos Ulberg sidelined by a torn ACL and not expected back until early 2027, Ankalaev made his case to stay busy in the meantime. “I’m already the No. 1 contender,” he said through a translator, adding that he’d be willing to fight for an interim title if the wait for Ulberg drags on. He floated Paulo Costa as a potential opponent for an October card back in Abu Dhabi, saying he was ready to stand and trade if that’s the fight Costa wants.
Social Media Reaction
The callout didn’t take long to get a response. Costa, who has been publicly pushing for a fight to keep the light heavyweight picture moving, replied to Ankalaev’s press conference comments on X with a one-word “Haha.” Ankalaev didn’t let it go, firing back on social media and daring Costa to accept the fight if he’s serious about it. Ulberg, who was cageside for the finish, offered his own read on the fight to a Paramount+ reporter afterward. “I saw what I needed to see,” the champion said, noting Ankalaev has long been on his radar as a future title challenger once his knee is cleared. Not everyone online was impressed with the way Ankalaev got there, though, with plenty of fans and forum posters calling the main event one of the more forgettable headliners of the year given the amount of clinching and control time involved.
Full Fight Card Results
Main Card
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev def. Bogdan Guskov by TKO (punches), Round 5, 2:41
Flyweight: Ramazan Temirov def. Steve Erceg by KO (punches), Round 1, 4:21
Lightweight: Magomed Zaynukov def. Damian Rzepecki by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Rizvan Kuniev def. Tyrell Fortune by TKO (strikes), Round 3, 1:12
Welterweight: Abubakar Vagaev def. Saygid Izagakhmaev by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Heavyweight: Valter Walker def. Thomas Petersen by Submission (Calf Slicer), Round 1, 1:32
Light Heavyweight: Muhammad Saidov def. Dustin Jacoby by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:49
Welterweight: Sam Patterson def. Santiago Ponzinibbio by TKO (punches), Round 2, 3:06
Lightweight: Axel Sola def. Ismael Bonfim by Submission (D’Arce Choke), Round 1, 4:44
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Tuchalov def. Brendson Ribeiro by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: Nurullo Aliev def. Mike Davis by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight: Abdul Hussein def. Cody Gibson by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke), Round 3, 3:07
Watch
Full Event Highlights | UFC Abu Dhabi: Ankalaev vs. Guskov
UFC Abu Dhabi: Post-Fight Press Conference
Social Media Reaction | MMA Zone
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