Ankalaev defeats Guskov in return at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi

Magomed Ankalaev is back in the win column.

The 34-year-old Russian defeated Bogdan Guskov by TKO at 2:41 in the fifth round of the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday.

Ankalaev struggled to find his rhythm through the opening three rounds, as Guskov took a defensive approach. Entering the fourth round, Ankalaev started finding success by taking the 33-year-old Uzbekistan native to the ground and controlling the fight from there.

He followed the same approach in the fifth round, eventually overwhelming Guskov on the mat and forcing the referee to step in for the TKO victory.

Prior to the win, Ankalaev had not competed since UFC 320 last October, when he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira in a first-round knockout just 80 seconds into his first title defence.

Khalil Rountree Jr. was initially scheduled to face Ankalaev in the main event, but Guskov stepped in on short notice as his replacement.

With the win, Ankalaev is expected to be the clear frontrunner to face UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg when he returns from his torn ACL in 2027.