Magomed Ankalaev returns to the UFC Octagon on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, facing short-notice replacement Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. The former light heavyweight champion is fighting for the first time since losing his belt to Alex Pereira last August.
Magomed Ankalaev is stepping back into the cage with a single objective: working his way back to a 205-pound title shot.
That defeat snapped an incredible 14-fight unbeaten streak and stripped Ankalaev of the championship he had won from Pereira just five months earlier at UFC 313 in March 2025. According to Mmafighting, the former titleholder admitted the setback took a heavy mental toll before he found his footing again.
“It must have been the worst day of my life, I could say. I lost the fight, I lost the belt, and it was really hard for me to get back here. But the time has been taken, the work’s been down, and I’m back a different person. I think what people will see this time around is a whole different fighter.”
Magomed Ankalaev, former UFC light heavyweight champion
Bogdan Guskov Steps In on Short Notice After Rountree Injury
Ankalaev was originally scheduled to face Khalil Rountree Jr. in this weekend’s main event, but a late injury forced the War Horse
to withdraw from the card.
Ankalaev expressed clear gratitude to his replacement opponent for saving the headliner, noting that multiple other matchups fell through before Guskov accepted the bout.
“About Bogdan, what can I say? He’s a great dude. He’s a great dude. I mean, he could have said no as well, and I would have been left without a fight. So he saved the fight for me, so I’m very thankful, and I think that he’s a great dude for doing it.”
Magomed Ankalaev, former UFC light heavyweight champion
Betting Odds and Octagon Stakes at UFC Abu Dhabi
Bookmakers have installed Ankalaev as a -500 to -535 favorite, while Guskov sits as a +375 to +400 underdog heading into Saturday night.
Fight versus Magomed is a big test — not just for me, but for everybody,
Guskov said in comments published by the promotion. I understand that when I win this fight, I (will) be first to fight for the title… It’s a title shot (next), 100-percent.
The Path Forward in the Light Heavyweight Division
The vacant championship was contested in April by Carlos Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka, leaving the belt in new hands.
He views the adversity as a necessary reset.
“It definitely was the right time for me to get that loss. As you remember, my first loss in the UFC was also a very terrible, kind of underprepared sort of loss against Paul Craig and I came back and I was dominant for such a long time. So I think we’re going to see this again. I needed that loss to bring me back down and then to start moving my way back up.”
Magomed Ankalaev, former UFC light heavyweight champion
For now, however, all focus remains fixed on Etihad Arena, where the opening bell on Saturday night will test whether the former champion’s rebuilding process translates into a winning return.
Sources: Mmafighting.
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