Magomed Ankalaev pummels Bogdan Guskov for TKO stoppage at UFC Abu Dhabi

Magomed Ankalaev proved his dominance at light heavyweight with a fifth-round TKO victory over Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday at Etihad Arena. Guskov, promoted from a Belgrade card to serve as a short-notice replacement after Khalil Rountree withdrew, was fighting for a potential title shot but never seriously threatened the former champion.

Ankalaev employed his methodical striking approach throughout the first three rounds, consistently outscoring Guskov at range while the Uzbek fighter remained tentative and unable to land his trademark power shots. Though visibly in control, Ankalaev generated little crowd enthusiasm with his measured pace.

The tide shifted dramatically in Round 4 when Ankalaev took Guskov down and began systematically striking from half guard at the fence. He transitioned to back mount, sinking a hook and battering Guskov's head with punches and elbows for the remainder of the round. Ankalaev continued this relentless assault in the fifth, quickly securing a single-leg takedown before chaining to a double-leg. Despite a brief guillotine choke attempt from Guskov, Ankalaev's unrelenting ground-and-pound proved insurmountable. Referee Marc Goddard intervened at 2:41 of Round 5, ending the fight.

The victory marked Ankalaev's return to winning form after a devastating 80-second title loss to Alex Pereira in October. He is now undefeated in 15 of his last 16 fights. Guskov's five-fight unbeaten run came to an end in disappointing fashion, as the short-notice replacement struggled to execute his game plan against the superior technician.