UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov - Live Updates, Results and Highlights

When all was said and done, Saturday's UFC card in Abu Dhabi was very entertaining—even if it included a few duds.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the event.

Magomed Ankalaev Fails to Make a Statement

Last fall, Magomed Ankalaev suffered a first-round knockout loss to Alex Pereira, ending a brief reign as UFC light heavyweight champion in the process. It was a devastating loss for the Russian, and given that he was already heavily criticized for his somewhat underwhelming fighting style, he really needed to make a statement in Abu Dhabi.

While he ultimately defeated Bogdan Guskov by fifth-round TKO, it's safe to say he failed to do so. The first four rounds of the fight were quite boring—though that's not just his fault—and even the finish was pretty forgettable. If he had knocked Guskov out cold in the first round, which he definitely has the skills to do, he might be looking at a crack at new champ Carlos Ulberg right now. Instead, he will almost certainly need to keep fighting to earn another crack at the belt. No way the UFC matchmakers give him the opportunity after his slow performance in Abu Dhabi.

Flyweight is On Fire

Uzbek flyweight Ramazan Temirov was arguably the biggest winner of Saturday's card in Abu Dhabi. Not only did he score one of the most violent knockout wins of the entire event, but he did it against Steve Erceg, a former title challenger who has spent the last few years fighting the very best athletes in the weight class.

The victory instantly turned Temirov into a contender in the division, which is absolutely on fire right now. We've got an electrifying champion in Joshua Van, who has a score to settle with the dominant former champion in Alexandre Pantoja. At the same time, fighters like Temirov, Manel Kape, Brandon Royval and Asu Almabayev have all recently put themselves right into title contention with statement-making finishes.

Valter Walker Needs a Real Test

After tapping Thomas Petersen with a calf-slicer in Abu Dhabi, Brazilian heavyweight Valter Walker has now won five straight fights with leg lock. That has obviously made him a real fan favorite, but it's time to address the elephant in the room: he has been doing this against very weak competition.

Now that Walker has gotten Petersen out of the way, it's time to take off the training wheels. He needs a serious test next time out—somebody firmly inside the top-10, with experience and skill in equal measure. Marcin Tybura, who he was briefly matched up with in March, would be a decent option, but even he seems like a cakewalk at this point. Someone like Serghei Spivac, Curtis Blaydes, or Sergei Pavlovich would be much more suitable. Let's see if Walker can take one of their legs home.

Magomed Ankalaev is now back in the win column, having defeated Bogdan Guskov by fifth-round TKO in Saturday's main event. It was a lopsided performance, as he controlled the action with his kickboxing through the first three rounds, and began to take lean on his grappling in round four, which is ultimately what set up his fifth-round TKO. Unfortunately, the win was pretty forgettable. There was almost no significant action until the finish occurred—though that is largely because Guskov seemed to forget he was in a fight.

The fact is that it was hardly the kind of statement the former champ needed to make after a championship loss to Alex Pereira last time out.

"He wasn't engaging in the striking," Ankalaev said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. "When I fight strikers, I have to hunt them. I have to go find them.

"I was out for a long time," he added. "Now I'm back. Now I'm going to start my hunt for that thing that I lost."

We're three rounds down in the main event, and former champ Magomed Ankalaev has seemingly won all of them. That said, neither he nor Guskov have done much of anything so far. Fans on social media are comparing their light heavyweight main to a sparring match.

Hopefully, this picks up a bit through the championship rounds.

We've reached the main event of the evening—or afternoon, depending on where you are in the world. In one corner, we'll have former light heavyweight champ Magomed Ankalaev, who will attempt to bounce back from a knockout loss to Alex Pereira. In the other, we'll have Uzbekistan's Bogdan Guskov, who was originally set to fight Jan Blachowicz next weekend, but stepped in to replace an injured Khalil Rountree Jr. against Ankalaev.

Both guys are among the best fighters in the weight class, and the winner of this fight will be one of the top contenders in the division. In fact, if Ankalaev is able to win impressively, it would be hard to argue against giving him a title shot against new champ Carlos Ulberg, who happens to be sitting cageside.

This is a very high-stakes fight between two big, skilled competitors. Don't blink. 

Ramazon Temirov is a serious, serious contender at flyweight.

The Uzbek fighter returned from a length layoff in Friday's co-headliner, taking on former title challenger Steve Erceg in what was probably the toughest test of his career to date. He passed it with top marks.

Temirov had his foot on the gas from opening seconds of the fight, and did not relent. Gradually, he began to find his range, and when he did, he began to showcase a level of power we don't often see in flyweights. He hurt Erceg once. Then he hurt him again. A few hard shots later, and he finally put him down, shutting the Australian's power off with a blistering right hand.

With this result, Temirov is now 20-2 overall, and 3-0 in the Octagon. He is one of several contenders to make a huge statement in recent weeks, following in the footsteps of Manel Kape, Asu Almabayev and Brandon Royval.

This division is insanely good right now. Joshua Van, the reigning champ, definitely has his hands full.

We've now reached our co-main event, which is pretty wild, considering it's not even 2:00 on the East Coast.

This one will go down at flyweight, where former title challenger Steve Erceg will look for a third straight win at the expense of Ramazan Temirov, who has won 11 straight, including 2 in the Octagon. 

As far as the oddsmakers are concerned, this one is anybody's fight. One way or the other, it should be fun. Flyweights almost always deliver. Remember that Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh scrap a few weeks back? Hopefully, we're in for more of that.

Damian Rzepecki fights with the nickname "The Butcher," but it was Magomed "Chanco" Zaynukov who did the slicing and dicing in their main card lightweight scrap.

After a close first round, the Islam Makhachev training partner began to get to work with his elbows, which quickly opened a huge cut around his opponent's hairline. He continued to apply pressure through round three, once again tearing into his foe with elbows honed over years of Muay Thai competition. Amazingly, Rzepecki was able to survive to the final bell, but by that point, he had clearly been beaten. All three judges saw it that way, giving "Chanco" a unanimous decision win in his UFC debut.

While it was certainly an impressive win for the Russian, it's hard to say whether it lived up to the huge amount of hype he had ahead of time. As good as he looked in Abu Dhabi, he also looked fairly beatable, particularly in a division as packed with world-class talent at lightweight.

Time will tell how far he can go.

Magomed "Chanco" Zaynukov has been the subject of a lot of talk since winning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series last year, largely because of his infamous brawl with Dillon Danis, and because of his bizarre association with the popular John Pork meme. That said, he still hasn't made his UFC debut.

It will finally happen in our next fight, when he takes on Damian Rzepecki at lightweight. 

Chanco is a student of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, but unlike many of his training partners, is more of a striker than a grappler. Let's see what he can make happen against Polish "Butcher" Rzepecki, who is also making his debut, and boasts a good number of finishes on the feet and on the ground. 

Both guys are undefeated, so somebody will be leaving the Octagon very disappointed.

Tyrell Fortune had no real answer for Rizvan Kuniev in their main card heavyweight fight. While he was not without his moments, he was consistently beaten to the punch by the Russian, and was showing a lot of damage by the end of round two, with a huge welt on his face, and an obvious rib injury. Despite the punishment he'd endured, Fortune bravely returned from his stool for round three, and threw some big punches in the early going, but soon found himself on the receiving of a brutal knee and kick up the middle. A few shots later, he was turtled up on the ground, and it was over.

With his third-round TKO win, Kuniev is now 2-1 in the UFC, having only lost a narrow decision to former title challenger Curtis Blaydes in his debut. He is clearly an elite talent.

Fortune, meanwhile, is now 1-1 in the Octagon, following a strong debut win over Marcin Tybura. You've got to give him credit for his toughness, though that's probably not much consolation to him.

Up next, we've got another heavyweight fight. This one will pit Russia's Rizvan Kuniev against former Bellator standout Tyrell Fortune. Both guys are ranked in the top-15, according to the UFC's traditional media rankings—though Fortune didn't make the cut in the promotion's new and controversial Meta AI rankings. One way or the other, this is an important fight between two highly relevant heavyweights.

Kuniev will be looking to follow up on a decision win over Jailton Almeida. Fortune, meanwhile, is riding an impressive win over veteran contender Marcin Tybura.

They're both in the cage. Here we go.

Abubakar Vagaev and Saygid Izagakhmaev's main card welterweight contest looked like it could be very competitive, and it turned out to be just that. Vagaev, a training partner of Khamzat Chimaev, had a very strong first round, quickly taking his opponent down and generally getting the better of the ensuing grappling exchanges. However, Izagakhmaev gradually began to work his way back into the fight. The Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev student had a particularly strong third round, landing some huge shots on the feet.

In the end, the judges gave this one to Vagaev. That marks a successful UFC debut for the Russian, and a performance that will certainly give his future opponent's pause.

In defeat, Izagakhmaev is now 0-2 in the Octagon, but that record doesn't seem totally reflective of his skill, as both of his losses have been close decisions against very tough opposition.

With Valter Walker's stunning calf-slicer against Thomas Petersen, the prelims are officially over. That means it's time for our main card.

We'll get things started with an all-Russian welterweight fight as Abubakar Vagaev takes on Saygid Izagakhmaev. Vagaev, a former ACA champ who trains with Khamzat Chimaev, will be making his UFC debut following a defeat of Octagon veteran Albert Tumenov in his last fight. Izagakhmaev, a Khabib Nurmagomedov protege, was once one of the hottest MMA talents in ONE Championship, and holds a recent stoppage win over Japanes legend Shinya Aoki, but ended up losing a split decision against Nicolas Dalby in his UFC debut last year. He'll be keen to rebound in style here.

This is a great way to kick off the main card. It should be underway in the next 15 minutes or so, so take your bathroom breaks and top up your beverages now.

Valter Walker failed to lock up a heel hook in his undercard heavyweight fight with Thomas Petersen, but he did score another type of leg lock, tapping his opponent with a first-round calf-slicer.

That is now five leg locks in a row for the Brazilian, which is frankly baffling. With that kind of success behind him, it's now fair to call him a contender at heavyweight. Time will tell if the leg locks continue as he begins to battle truly elite opposition, but he is clearly a source of an incredible danger on the mat. At this point, a submission almost seems like a foregone conclusion when he gets his opponents down.

Rising heavyweight contender Valter Walker is set to return to the Octagon next, and most fans know well what that means. The Brazilian has won his last four UFC fights by heel hook, and in his undercard battle with Thomas Petersen, he will surely be looking for a fifth.

Petersen, of course, will have other ideas, and will be looking to build on the momentum of a close decision win over Guilherme Pat last time out.

This one could get pretty chaotic. Let's get into it.

It's hard to imagine a better UFC debut for Muhammad Saidov.

The undefeated 30 year old made his first Octagon appearance on Saturday's undercard, taking on long-time contender Dustin Jacoby, who was riding three-straight wins. Despite the scale of the challenge—and the fact that he took the fight on short notice—he absolutely blew his veteran opponent away with a sizzling combination in round two.

With that result, Saidov is now 10-0 overall, and very possibly on track for a fight with another top-15 contender. It's a little early to make any big statements about his future, but he is clearly very good, and in a division as desperate for new contenders as light heavyweight, he is a welcome arrival.

Dustin Jacoby may not be the biggest name in the light heavyweight division, but he's been floating around the other edge of the division's top-15 for years, and has always been willing to fight top contenders and rising prospects alike.

In our next fight, the former kickboxer will once again mix it up with promising youngster, as he takes on the debuting Muhammad Saidov, who stepped in on short notice to replace the injured Uran Satybaldiev. He will be looking for a fourth-straight win against the newcomer, who is 9-0 overall, and most recently knocked out UFC veteran Luis Henrique da Silva inside a round.

This one could seemingly go either way, but it should be a lot of fun regardless. Here we go.

Even with tons of Octagon experience behind him, Santiago Ponzinibbio was no match for Sam Patterson. While the Argentine veteran came out aggressive early, the Brit quickly found his range, and leaning on his massive height and reach advantage, began putting relentless pressure on his opponent. He finally rocked Ponzinibbio early in round two, and after stalking him patiently for several minutes, knocked him clean out just past the three-minute mark.

This was just the kind of performance Patterson needed after losing a stinker against Michael Page last time out. As a tall, rangy fighter with incredible finishing instincts, he definitely has a bright future at welterweight.

As for Ponzinibbio, it may be time to consider hanging up the gloves. If not, his focus should definitely be on matchups with other fading veterans, not hulking young prospects like Patterson.

Weeks after Argentina and England collided in the World Cup, they will reignite their rivalry in the Octagon, as the veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio takes on British finisher Sam Patterson.

"The Argentine Dagger" Ponzinibbio, who is almost 40, has been in the UFC for years, and has fought many of the best fighters in the welterweight division—and beaten quite a few of them. Against Patterson, who recently lost a forgettable decision to Michael "Venom" Page, he will need to be absolutely perfect, or risk taking a nap on the canvas.

Axel Sola needed a big win to rebound from a recent loss to Mason Jones, and he got exactly that in Abu Dhabi, tapping Ismael Bonfim with a D'Arce choke in round one. In victory, the four-time defending Ares FC champ is a strong 12-1-1 overall, and 2-1 in the Octagon. His talent is undeniable, as is his status as one of the most entertaining new prospects in the division.

As for Bonfim, that's now three losses in a row. Unfortunately, his time in the Octagon may unfortunately be over.

We now move onto a fan friendly lightweight clash pitting Ismael Bonfim against Axel Sola. Brazil's Bonfim, the older brother of welterweight contender Gabriel Bonfim, is capable of some pretty flashy performances, but has lost two straight. France's Axel Sola is also very fun to watch. He will be trying to rebound from a decision loss to Mason Jones.

Sola is in the cage, and Bonfim is about to walk out. Here we go.

Magomed Tuchalov picked up a lopsided unanimous decision win over Brendson Ribeiro in his UFC debut. The undefeated prospect had a bit of trouble getting things going in round one, but was totally dominant with his wrestling and boxing through rounds two and three. It's unlikely anyone will be touting him as a future champion after he failed to finish his opponent, but he's now 7-0 overall, and a welcome addition to the talent-starved light heavyweight division.

Up next, we've got the first of the three light heavyweight fights on tonight's bill.

This one will pit Brazil's Brendson Ribeiro against Magomed Tuchalov of Dubai. Ribeiro will be looking to spoil Tuchalov's UFC debut, and hand him his first pro loss after a perfect 6-0 start to his career. The Brazilian is a huge underdog, but he has more UFC fights than his opponent has pro bouts. He's got the experience to pull this off, even if it's unlikely.

Nurullo Aliev's grappling was simply too much for Mike Davis. The Tajik prospect landed takedowns in all three round of their lightweight fight, and racked up significant amounts of control time in the process. Davis actually finished the fight on top, but by that point, it was too little too late. There could be no other result but a unanimous decision win for Aliev.

The win brings Aliev to 12-0, and a strong 4-0 in the UFC. Unfortunately, all four of his Octagon wins—and 10 of his 12 pro wins—have come by way of decision. It's great that he's winning, but his failure to finish his fights is not going to gain him any goodwill with fans or UFC brass.

He even caught a bit of a lecture from Davis after their gruelling three-rounded.

"Be a fighter," Davis said. "You're amazing, but be a fighter."

Mike Davis is very good at fighting. Unfortunately, he rarely does it.

In our next fight in Abu Dhabi, the seven-time Octagon veteran will return to action for the first time in over a year. His opponent will be Nurullo Aliev of Tajikistan, who is 11-0 as a pro, including three wins in the Octagon.

They'll have three rounds to work with in the lightweight division. This should be a good one. Let's get to it.

Abdul Hussein gave a great account of himself in his UFC debut, dominating Cody Gibson on the feet and on the mat en route to a third-round submission win. Gibson showed plenty of toughness throughout the fight, squirming his way out of multiple submission attempts, but was completely out of gas by the time he finally tapped out.

That result brings Hussein to 16-2 overall.

Unfortunately, we have lost a main card fight at the eleventh hour.

Islam Dulatov has fallen ill, and has been ruled out of his welterweight scrap with Wellington Turman. That's definitely a bummer, but there's still plenty on this card to look forward to.

The UFC's return to Abu Dhabi will kick off in about 5 minutes. We'll get things started with a bantamweight fight—the only one on the bill—as Finland's Abdul Hussein takes on American veteran Cody Gibson.

It will be Hussein's UFC debut, but he has won eight straight MMA fights and a pair of boxing matches. Let's see if he can prove he belongs in the Octagon against a very experienced opponent in Gibson.