Magomed Ankalaev is back in the win column. He beat Bogdan Guskov by fifth-round TKO in the UFC Fight Night main event in Abu Dhabi on July 25, 2026. Here is a full breakdown of every main card fight, plus quick results from the prelims.
Main Card: Full Breakdown
Magomed Ankalaev def. Bogdan Guskov, TKO, Round 5
Ankalaev, MMA Record (21-2-1, 1 NC), controlled the first three rounds with clean kickboxing. He kept Guskov at range and picked him apart without taking real risks. Guskov rarely pressed forward or changed the pace. That passivity let Ankalaev dictate every exchange from distance.
Round four is where the fight changed. Ankalaev shot for a single leg and got it with ease, then worked from half guard looking for short punches. Guskov briefly caught him in an anaconda choke, but Ankalaev slipped free and retook top position. That scare did not slow him down.
In round five, Ankalaev pulled Guskov into side control and unloaded elbows and punches. Guskov turtled up and stopped defending himself. The referee stepped in and waved off the fight. It was Ankalaev’s first outing since losing his title to Alex Pereira, and this win puts him back in title contention.
Ramazan Temirov def. Steve Erceg, TKO, Round 1 (4:21)
Temirov finished Erceg early with punches. Erceg, a former flyweight title challenger, never found his range before the stoppage. This was a statement win for Temirov in an Australia vs. Uzbekistan matchup billed as the co-main event.
Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman — Cancelled
This welterweight bout never happened. Dulatov fell ill before the fight, and the UFC pulled it from the card entirely.
Magomed Zaynukov def. Damian Rzepecki, Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Rzepecki used grinding grappling early to slow down Zaynukov’s striking. It did not work. Zaynukov landed hard elbows throughout the fight, including a deep eye poke on Rzepecki that briefly halted the action. Zaynukov, an Islam Makhachev protege, won every round on all three scorecards in his UFC debut.
Rizvan Kuniev def. Tyrell Fortune, TKO, Round 3 (1:12)
Kuniev outclassed Fortune everywhere. He hurt Fortune on the feet multiple times and showed strong defensive wrestling in the clinch. Fortune fought through a rib injury but had little offense to show for it. Kuniev eventually walked him down and finished him early in round three, collecting his first UFC stoppage win.
Abubakar Vagaev def. Saygid Izagakhmaev, Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)
Vagaev leaned on his wrestling to control the pace against his fellow Russian. He stifled Izagakhmaev’s attempts to push forward late in the fight. All three judges scored it for Vagaev in his UFC debut.
Preliminary Card: Quick Results
Valter Walker def. Thomas Petersen — 1 round.
Muhammad Saidov def. Dustin Jacoby — 1 round.
Sam Patterson def. Santiago Ponzinibbio — 2 rounds.
Axel Sola def. Ismael Bonfim — 1 round.
Magomed Tuchalov def. Brendson Ribeiro — 3 rounds.
Nurullo Aliev def. Mike Davis — 3 rounds.
Abdul Hussein def. Cody Gibson — 3 rounds.
What This Means Going Forward
Ankalaev answered the only question that mattered. He proved he can still beat ranked opposition after a title loss, even if the fight itself stayed quiet for long stretches. His path back to a title shot stays open because of this win.
Kuniev’s performance stood out as the most complete showing on the entire card. He beat a ranked heavyweight while showing patience and finishing instincts most prospects lack this early in their UFC run. Watch for him to move up the rankings fast after this outing.
Final Thoughts
This card delivered exactly what a rebuilding main event needed. Ankalaev did not need fireworks, he needed a clean win, and he got one without taking damage. That is the smart move for a fighter one loss away from falling out of title talk.
The real signal from this event points to Kuniev, not Ankalaev. A dominant stoppage over a ranked heavyweight, done with patience and control, is rarer than a flashy knockout. If the UFC books him against someone in the current top five next, do not be surprised.
