Ankalaev secures TKO victory
Magomed Ankalaev returned to the win column with a TKO victory over Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The fight concluded at 2:41 in the fifth round on Saturday.
Ankalaev, the Russian fighter, had difficulty establishing his rhythm during the initial three rounds of the bout. Guskov adopted a defensive strategy throughout this period. However, as the fourth round began, Ankalaev found success by taking the Uzbekistan native to the ground and maintaining control of the fight from that position.
He continued with this approach in the fifth round, ultimately overwhelming Guskov on the mat. This led to the referee stepping in to stop the fight, awarding Ankalaev the TKO victory.
Bantamweight and light heavyweight action
The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, commenced with a bantamweight battle. Hussein, with a record of 15-2 and 0-0 UFC, made his debut against Gibson, who held a record of 21-12 and 3-7 UFC. The athletes displayed sportsmanship by touching gloves at the start of the match.
In the first round, Gibson secured a leglock, using the submission attempt to return to his feet. He then pressed Hussein against the wall, landing several knees to the stomach. Hussein retaliated with an uppercut. The round concluded with Hussein applying pressure, including knees to Gibson’s forehead as Gibson appeared to be tiring. Ben Duffy and Tudor Leonte both scored the first round 10-9 for Gibson.
The second round saw Hussein attempt a choke, which Gibson resisted. Hussein then moved to mount, and although Gibson managed to escape, Hussein secured another brabo choke. Gibson endured this as well but seemed to be flagging. Hussein postured up and delivered strikes to Gibson. Ben Duffy scored the round 10-8 for Hussein, while Tudor Leonte scored it 10-9 for Hussein.
In the third round, with Gibson on his knees, Hussein delivered knees to his ribs. Gibson then tripped Hussein, taking him back to the ground. Hussein then transitioned into a half guard to initiate an arm-triangle choke. With his body weight pressing down and Gibson’s arm trapped, Gibson submitted, giving Hussein his 10th career submission and extending his finish streak to nine straight.
Another light heavyweight bout featured Aliev against Davis. Aliev initiated a single-leg shot, pushing 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 where he landed shoulder strikes on Aliev. Aliev maintained position and executed a double leg takedown, putting Davis on his back again. Aliev delivered knees to Davis’s thigh and posterior.
Aliev continued to control Davis, taking him down again. Davis, however, fought back to his feet. Aliev secured another single leg, putting Davis on his back, where Davis used elbows. Davis then rolled to nearly take Aliev’s back, but Aliev twisted to put Davis on his back. Davis attempted a triangle choke, landing elbows, but the round ended before he could secure the submission. Ben Duffy and Tudor Leonte both scored the round 10-9 for Davis.
In the next round, Davis attacked Aliev with punches. Aliev responded by shooting for a single leg, dragging Davis to his back. Davis quickly repositioned himself against the fence. Aliev landed knees to Davis’s buttocks and spine, which were not addressed by the referee. Davis returned to his feet, but Aliev kept him wrapped against the cage. Davis landed a salvo of punches before the horn. Ben Duffy and Tudor Leonte both scored the round 10-9 for Aliev.
Aliev maintained control in the final round, pressing Davis’s neck against the fence and grabbing the fence to hold his position. The referee intervened to address the fence grab. Davis attempted to escape and used a knee to push Aliev off. Aliev then took Davis down, landing on top. Aliev shelled up and held Davis’s wrists. Aliev then transitioned into an armbar, straightening the arm as time expired, narrowly missing a submission. Ben Duffy and Tudor Leonte both scored the round 10-9 for Aliev, resulting in a 29-28 score for Aliev from both judges.
Looking ahead for Ankalaev
Before this recent victory, Ankalaev had not competed since UFC 320 in October, where he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira. That loss occurred via a first-round knockout just 80 seconds into his initial title defence.
Khalil Rountree Jr. was originally scheduled to face Ankalaev in the main event. However, Guskov stepped in as a replacement on short notice. With this win, Ankalaev is positioned as a leading contender to face UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg when Ulberg returns from a torn ACL in 2027.
Source: sherdog.com
