Updated

Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 24

Bogdan Guskov Replaces Jan Blachowicz to Face Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi 1 Week Early

Updated

Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 24

Bogdan Guskov Replaces Jan Blachowicz to Face Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi 1 Week Early

Q: With Carlos Ulberg sidelined, could the winner of Guskov vs. Ankalaev leap straight into an interim title fight?

Yes — the winner could plausibly jump straight into an interim title fight, but it depends more on Carlos Ulberg’s recovery timeline than on Saturday’s result alone. The opening is real. Ulberg is sidelined after ACL surgery, and Dana White has already indicated an interim light heavyweight title bout is likely if the champion’s absence stretches on. That makes UFC Abu Dhabi’s main event unusually important, especially because Ankalaev is already an established top contender and former champion, while Guskov is a fast-rising finisher on a five-fight unbeaten run. If Ankalaev wins convincingly, he would be the clearest interim-title candidate. He is still one of the division’s biggest names, remains near the top of the rankings, and a rebound win would quickly restore his standing after the Alex Pereira loss. If Guskov wins, the case becomes more interesting but less automatic. Beating Ankalaev on short notice would be the biggest victory of his career and likely vault him to the front of the contender queue. But the UFC may still want to match him against another elite name unless Ulberg’s layoff forces the promotion to move quickly. The key variable is timing. Ulberg has said his recovery may be faster than expected, with an initial six-to-eight-month window. If that proves true, the UFC could wait for his return and simply treat Ankalaev-Guskov as a No. 1 contender fight. If recovery drags, the winner has a strong path to interim gold.

1 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 24

Bogdan Guskov accepted a short-notice main event against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi, moving off a Jan Blachowicz rematch that had been set for UFC Belgrade a week later.
50 seconds was all Guskov said he needed to accept, calling Ankalaev a bigger name than Blachowicz and the matchup a chance to change his career and boost his ranking.
Five fights unbeaten since his 2023 debut loss to Volkan Oezdemir, Guskov has finished all four of his UFC wins, including victories over Ryan Spann and Nikita Krylov.
Ankalaev returns for the first time since losing the light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira at UFC 320, while champion Carlos Ulberg is sidelined with an injury, giving Guskov hope a win could move him toward an interim-title shot.