All articles tagged with #ankalaev
Robert Whittaker, after moving up to light heavyweight and beating Nikita Krylov by stoppage in the third round at UFC 329, is pursuing a high-profile 205-pound bout, naming Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz as preferred opponents. He also stressed he won’t fight his training partners Carlos Ulberg or Navajo Stirling. Blachowicz publicly challenged him on social media, but Whittaker has not yet responded.
Chris Weidman defends Magomed Ankalaev after a slow UFC Abu Dhabi main event, saying Ankalaev dominated and that Bogdan Guskov’s reluctance to engage made the fight look boring; Ankalaev blamed Guskov and mentioned a Paulo Costa matchup next, while Weidman floated a potential Jiri Prochazka showdown as the true No. 1 contender bout.
Magomed Ankalaev rebounded from a title loss to stop replacement opponent Bogdan Guskov with a fifth‑round TKO in the UFC Fight Night 282 main event in Abu Dhabi, reaffirming his status as the UFC’s top light heavyweight contender; the piece notes fighters’ reactions to his win.
UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi featured Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov in the main event, with Guskov stepping in on short notice for Khalil Rountree Jr., plus a loaded undercard including Abdul Hussein’s submission win over Cody Gibson in the prelims; a Dulatov vs. Turman bout was canceled due to illness.
MMA Fighting previews UFC Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena on July 25, headlined by Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov, as Ankalaev tries to rebound from a first-round KO to Alex Pereira and reestablish his title path while Guskov, undefeated in his last five, looks to derail him and vault into the top 5; the article also offers picks for the rest of the card (Erceg-Temirov, Dulatov-Turman, Zaynukov-Rzepecki, Kuniev-Fortune, Vagaev-Isagakhmaev) with analysis of styles and potential finishes, all streaming on Paramount+.
At UFC Abu Dhabi's ceremonial weigh-ins, all 26 fighters hit the scale. In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov weighed 205.5 lb each for their non-title bout. The co-main features Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov at 126 lb. Full weigh-in results for the main card and prelims are listed in the report.
Bogdan Guskov heads to his first UFC main event in Abu Dhabi against Magomed Ankalaev, calling the matchup a major career-changing opportunity and hinting it could open doors toward a larger title run, as he bypasses a rematch with Jan Blachowicz.
Magomed Ankalaev, coming off an 80-second KO loss to Alex Pereira that snapped his 14‑fight unbeaten run (which included a title win over Pereira at UFC 313 in March 2025), returns as UFC Abu Dhabi 2026 headliner against short‑notice replacement Bogdan Guskov. He says the loss was the worst day of his life but has worked his way back, insisting he’s in the best shape of his life and will be a different fighter this time, with Guskov stepping in after Khalil Rountree Jr. was injured to save the bout.
Veronica Hardy delivered her best UFC performance to date, defeating Brogan Walker by unanimous decision at UFC 320, showcasing her striking and grappling skills, and improving her record to 4-1 since returning to the UFC.
At UFC 320 in Las Vegas, former two-division champion Alex Pereira aims to reclaim the light heavyweight title from Magomed Ankalaev, who has remained undefeated since his debut. The event also features Merab Dvalishvili defending his bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen, and other notable fights including Jiri Procházka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. Experts analyze the night's action.
UFC 320 featured a main event rematch where Magomed Ankalaev defended his light heavyweight title against Alex Pereira, with the card also including fights like Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen and others across preliminary and early prelims at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UFC 320 features a light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira, with weigh-in results confirming both fighters at 204.5 lbs, and takes place in Las Vegas on October 4, with prelims and main card scheduled across ESPN platforms.
UFC 320 features a highly anticipated rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title, with Ankalaev aiming to defend his belt in a fight that could be pivotal for the division's future. The event also includes key bouts like Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen and Prochazka vs. Rountree, promising an exciting night of MMA action at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira exchanged heated words at a face-to-face encounter ahead of their UFC 320 rematch on October 4, with tensions rising as Pereira called Ankalaev an 'asshole' after a brief confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute, fueling anticipation for their fight in Las Vegas.
Johnny Walker suffered a crushing knockout loss to Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 84, leaving him in need of regrouping. Despite previous talk of moving up to the 265-pound division, he is likely to stick around the Light Heavyweight division for now. A potential matchup against Volkan Oezdemir could be on the horizon, offering a chance for Walker to regain confidence and work his way back up the rankings.