Live Now! UFC Abu Dhabi ‘Ankalaev vs. Guskov’ play-by-play, results & round scoring
Ankalaev secures TKO victory
Magomed Ankalaev returned to the win column, defeating Bogdan Guskov by TKO at 2:41 in the fifth round of the main event at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 281.
Ankalaev, a 34-year-old Russian fighter, faced initial challenges in finding his rhythm during the first three rounds, as Guskov adopted a defensive strategy. However, Ankalaev began to find success in the fourth round by taking the 33-year-old Uzbekistan native to the ground and maintaining control.
He continued this approach into the fifth round, eventually overwhelming Guskov on the mat. This led to the referee stepping in to stop the fight, securing the TKO victory for Ankalaev. Prior to this win, Ankalaev had not competed since UFC 320 last October, where he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira in a first-round knockout.
Initially, Khalil Rountree Jr. was scheduled to face Ankalaev in the main event, but Guskov stepped in as a short-notice replacement. With this victory, Ankalaev is expected to be a clear frontrunner to challenge UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg upon Ulberg’s return from a torn ACL in 2027.
Undercard Bouts and Notable Moments
The event commenced with a bantamweight bout. In one of the earlier fights, Hussein (15-2, 0-0 UFC) faced Gibson (21-12, 3-7 UFC). Hussein secured his 10th career submission, extending his finish streak to nine consecutive wins. During the fight, Gibson attempted a leglock to return to his feet, pressing Hussein against the wall and landing knees to the stomach. Hussein countered with an uppercut and applied pressure, leading to head clashes between the two fighters.
In the second round of their match, Hussein applied a choke, which Gibson managed to escape. Hussein then transitioned to mount and attempted another brabo choke. Despite Gibson’s resilience, Hussein maintained control, eventually securing an arm-triangle choke in the third round. Gibson submitted, marking Hussein’s victory.
Another bout featured Aliev against Davis. Aliev initiated the fight with a single-leg shot, taking Davis to his knee. Aliev then tripped Davis, putting him on his back. Davis managed to return to his feet, engaging in a standing clinch and landing shoulder strikes. Aliev focused on maintaining position and executed a double leg takedown, bringing Davis to the mat again.
In the second round, Davis managed to land elbows from his guard as Aliev pursued a low ankle pick. Davis then rolled to nearly take Aliev’s back. Aliev, however, twisted to put Davis back on the mat. Davis attempted a triangle choke, using it to land elbows, but the round ended before he could secure a finish.
The third round saw Davis attempting a barrage of punches, leading Aliev to shoot for a single leg. Davis was taken down but quickly repositioned himself against the fence. Aliev landed knees to the buttocks, which were noted as illegal but went unaddressed. Aliev maintained control against the cage, but Davis managed to land a salvo of strikes before the horn. In the final round, Aliev pressed Davis against the fence, grappling for position. Despite Davis’s attempts to escape, Aliev maintained control, eventually attempting an armbar as time expired. Aliev has gone the distance in all of his UFC fights.
In a light heavyweight contest, Tuchalov and Ribeiro began by measuring each other with single distance strikes, such as front kicks and jabs. The first minute saw a stalemate, with neither fighter committing fully. Tuchalov landed low calf kicks, while Ribeiro advanced with punches and a lead leg kick. Tuchalov intercepted Ribeiro with a kick to the ribcage. Ribeiro then landed a right hand that resonated within the Etihad Arena.
Tuchalov continued to target the front leg, and Ribeiro responded by closing the distance.
Source: sherdog.com
