Ankalaev TKO's Guskov in fifth round, eyes title shot
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- Magomed Ankalaev (22-2-1) stopped Bogdan Guskov (18-4-1) at 2:41 of the fifth round in the UFC Fight Night main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, his first fight since losing the light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira in October.
- UFC Stats recorded Guskov as out-struck 122 to 42, with Guskov largely circling away and offering minimal takedown defense once Ankalaev shifted to wrestling in rounds four and five.
- Bogdan Guskov took the bout on roughly 10 days' notice after original opponent Khalil Rountree Jr. withdrew due to injury, and his own corner pleaded with him mid-fight not to give up.
- Ankalaev entered the fight already ranked the UFC's No. 1 light heavyweight contender, with current champion Carlos Ulberg sidelined indefinitely by a knee injury.
- Ankalaev said he is hunting to reclaim the belt and is willing to move up to heavyweight to complete a trilogy with Pereira, who has since vacated the 205-pound title.
- Ankalaev won the light heavyweight championship with a March 2025 decision over Pereira before losing an immediate rematch by knockout.
- Ankalaev told reporters post-fight, "now I'm back and I'm going to start my hunt for the thing I lost."
Why it matters: Ankalaev's one-sided win re-establishes him as the top contender at 205 pounds, but champion Ulberg's indefinite knee injury means the timeline for a title fight is uncertain — and Ankalaev's public willingness to chase Pereira to heavyweight hints he may not wait around for the division to sort itself out.
