The Etihad Arena is getting hot at UFC Abu Dhabi with all eyes on the explosive light heavyweight main event between Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov. Both Ankalaev and Guskov come into the cage with a chip on their shoulders, having something to prove after a big blow from the likes of Alex Pereira and having nothing to lose, respectively. That’s what makes MMA so unpredictable.
The title fight changed after Khalil Rountree Jr. pulled out, leaving a huge opening for Guskov to make an impact with the light heavyweight crown. Guskov’s five-fight unbeaten streak makes this a replacement fight, though Ankalaev is still one of the most dangerous in the bout at 205 pounds. It’s a war with rankings pressure all over it and a high-risk, high-reward aspect. MMA Fighting
The showdown card did the job of bringing violence and drama at a previous time. Muhammad Saidov neutralized Dustin Jacoby with strikes in the late part of round two while Sam Patterson made a big splash with his brutal second-round knockout of Santiago Ponzinibbio. Ismael Bonfim was also a good victim with a slick first-round D’Arce choke submission by Axel Sola.
Magomed Tuchalov and Nurullo Aliev also had solid victories, including Aliev’s fight ending in round three by submission over Abdul Hussein. The big crash that hit the main card was on account of the illness of Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman, who was replaced.
Ankalaev vs. Guskov is a serious title bout, and Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov is the co-main event, making UFC Abu Dhabi a must-watch fight night. Now it’s time to see if Ankalaev is still top dog or if Guskov will come as a surprise to the division.
