UFC Abu Dhabi results: Magomed Ankalaev fends off Bogdan Guskov with forgettable 5th-round knockout

Magomed Ankalaev defeated Bogdan Guskov by TKO in the fifth round at UFC Abu Dhabi, though the technical victory came with little fanfare in a fight that drew boos from the Etihad Arena crowd.

Ankalaev's workmanlike performance over Guskov exposed the short-notice replacement's lack of aggression. Through the first three rounds, Guskov presented minimal offensive threat, allowing Ankalaev to pick him apart methodically at range while the crowd voiced displeasure at the sluggish pace. Guskov, known for his hard-hitting knockout power, appeared timid and tentative, abandoning his typical aggressive approach rather than engaging in genuine striking exchanges.

The fight's only significant action came in Rounds 4 and 5, when Ankalaev took control on the ground. He grounded Guskov repeatedly, landing steady ground-and-pound from top position while the Polish-based fighter offered negligible resistance. Guskov mounted one desperate guillotine choke attempt in Round 5 but abandoned it quickly. After nearly three minutes of unrelenting punishment, referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at 2:41 of the final round.

For Ankalaev (21-2-1), the win represents his return to dominance following a disappointing 80-second knockout loss to Alex Pereira in a light heavyweight title rematch this past October—his first defeat since 2018. He is now unbeaten in 15 of his last 16 fights. However, his uninspiring performance may hurt his case for another championship opportunity. Guskov (18-4-1) suffered his first loss in five fights after stepping in on 12 days' notice as a replacement for injured Khalil Rountree Jr. He was originally scheduled to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade the following week.